


The Ladybug and the Crown

by bram101_princessladybug



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU Yeah AUgust (Miraculous Ladybug), Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Cinderella Fusion, Alternate Universe - No Hawk Moth, Awesome Nino Lahiffe, Cinderella Elements, Gen, Inspired by Miraculous Ladybug, Ladrien Summer, Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:33:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25499893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bram101_princessladybug/pseuds/bram101_princessladybug
Summary: Prince Adrien and King Gabriel have invited all the eligible youths of the kingdom to a series of balls at the palace to help Adrien find a worthy spouse, and baker's daughter Marinette is excited to attend. She's been dreaming of marrying the Prince for years, and nothing can stop her and Alya from attending the ball. But mishaps (involving a certain rival blond) occur, and Marinette might have to find another way in.On the other hand, Adrien doesn't want to play the part of the pretty Prince anymore. Enlisting the help of a loyal friend, he dons a disguise and sets out to learn about his kingdom and his people without the weight of his crown in the way. But does he even want the crown? And will he find the love of his life, even when she doesn't leave a shoe?--Marinette was late.Very, very late.Her carriage flew through the cobblestoned streets straight for the palace. The ball had started an hour ago, but she hoped that guests were still being allowed inside.She originally hadn’t planned on attending. And it was still true that she, as Marinette Dupain-Cheng, would not be in attendance.But Ladybug might be.And Chat Noir would be waiting.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste & Chloé Bourgeois & Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Chloé Bourgeois, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Chloé Bourgeois & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Chloé Bourgeois & Sabrina Raincomprix, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Tikki, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Tom Dupain, Sabine Cheng & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Sabine Cheng/Tom Dupain
Comments: 25
Kudos: 62





	1. The Announcement

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first Miraculous Ladybug fic; please leave comments/questions/suggestions down below. I hope you enjoy! :)

#  The Ladybug and the Crown 

##  The Announcement 

Marinette was late. 

Very, very late. 

Her carriage flew through the cobblestoned streets, headed straight for the palace. The ball had started an hour ago, but she hoped that guests were still being allowed inside. 

She originally hadn’t planned on attending. 

And it was still true that she, as Marinette Dupain-Cheng, would, in fact, not be in attendance. 

The Prince would have to begin the process of picking a spouse at the ball tonight, and under normal circumstances, she would have been the first in line to meet him. When she had first heard the invitation, she had immediately imagined greeting him suavely by name, awaiting the moment their fingers touched, their eyes met, and he fell just as hard for her as she had for him, all those years ago. She couldn’t wait to touch his beautiful pianist’s hands, to finally see his shining green eyes and blonde hair in person, and to make her very best real first impression. 

Just three weeks ago, in fact, she and Alya had been gushing about the announcement at the market. 

\---------- 

“The Prince cordially invites every eligible person from all the lands in the kingdom to the Grand Palace Balls,” the mustachioed announcer standing in the center of the market square began, unrolling a heavy parchment in front of him. “There will be three balls, with the first one set in three weeks’ time, and final one on the full moon’s day of the next month.” 

After a pause, he continued. “At the end of series, the Prince shall select his spouse, who will rule the kingdom at his side for the remainder of their lives together. That is all.” 

At the end of the announcement, the cheers of the crowd in the marketplace were deafening. 

Marinette and Alya glanced at each other excitedly and began to squeal. 

“Omigosh, omigosh, the Prince!!” Marinette yelped. 

Alya clapped her hands together and squeezed her best friend tightly. “You’ve only been crushing on him for, what, all your life? Memorizing his travel schedule, trying to catch glimpses of him at the festival, staring at all the royal paintings to watch him grow up from cute little boy to very handsome man —” 

Marinette giggled. She knew she couldn’t reveal the truth about how her feelings for him had come about, but Alya wasn’t wrong. She had been starry-eyed about him for over 6 years. “And now, I’ll finally get a chance to meet him. In person! For real! We’ll fall in love, and have three kids, oh, and a hamster named—” 

Alya laughed and nudged her friend. “Let’s start with a simple conversation first before you get into a discussion with him about the name of the hamster, okay?” 

Marinette grinned. “No promises! But you aren’t as obsessed with the Prince…maybe this is your chance to meet _your_ true love.” Marinette smirked and nudged her friend before dropping her voice into a deep mimicry of Lord Nino’s. “I am the son of Lord Lahiffe, the richest lord in all the land, probably richer than the King, and I’m desperately in love with you, Lady Alya.” Alya shrieked and tried to smack Marinette, who laughed and pushed her back. After a tussle, they gleefully high-fived before gathering their market purchases to take back to their respective family businesses. 

“Promise me we’ll get ready together, girl?” Alya called after her. “And I’m going to need your help getting a dress! You’re the genius at fashion, after all!” 

Marinette smiled. “I’ll sew something special for you, don’t you worry one bit!” She waved her friend good-bye, sure that nothing could ruin her mood. 

Two weeks passed, with Marinette working on her and Alya’s dresses all the while. Her parents ecstatically helped her buy the material she needed and supplied her with all the snacks she could possibly want while she worked, even encouraging her to take time off from the bakery to get ready. 

“My daughter is the most beautiful in the kingdom,” her father had said, picking her up and twirling her around as if she were just a little girl again. She giggled and kicked in his arms. “She’s sure to win the Prince’s heart and have her own happily-ever-after.” He smiled at his wife as a reminder of what his happy ending had entailed. Marinette’s mother smiled back before joining them in a happy family group hug. 

\------

But with just a week to go before the first ball, it had all begun to go downhill. 

Why did she have to offer to take that delivery down to Lord Bourgeois’ castle? She could have left it. Her parents were more than willing to take care of it themselves. But recalling all that her parents had sacrificed for her and her happiness, she decided that the least she could do was take care of the final delivery of the day. 

There was such a slim chance of running into the Bourgeois’ spoiled daughter and her best friend that Marinette didn’t see the possible dangers of her choice until far too late. She and Chloe had always been rivals, with Marinette always trying to stand up to Chloe’s spiteful comments, but recently, Marinette hadn’t seen the other girl at all. She prayed that her luck would hold as she hurried down the path leading toward the castle. 

She entered at the gate and made a beeline straight for the kitchens, hoping to drop off the bread and be back home before the streets got too dark. 

As soon as she entered the shadowy building, however, Lady Sabrina slammed the door behind her, locking it. 

“Ah!” Marinette cried. “What’s going on?” She blinked owlishly in the darkness, trying to identify who was in front of her. 

Suddenly, a candle flickered to life, and she was staring straight at the face of Lady Chloe, her blue eyes narrowed and spiteful. 

“I knew that they’d send her to make this delivery, didn’t I, Sabrina?” She smirked, and Marinette’s throat went dry. “And now, we can take advantage of this moment and ruin the utterly ridiculous Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” 

Marinette dropped the bread basket on the table and stumbled backward, trying to retreat away from Chloe, and instead bumped straight into Sabrina, her red hair glowing in the darkness. Trapped between the two girls, Marinette straightened her back, balled her hands into fists, and met the gaze of the girl in front of her fiercely. “Okay, Lady Chloe, what do you want?” 

Chloe examined her fingernails as she spoke. “We both know that you want the Prince. I’ve known him far longer, though, and I’m sure that he’s going to pick me. You have no chance, Dupain-Cheng. Just give up and don’t go and I promise I won’t make your life a nightmare. Not that it’s so great to begin with,” she added snidely. 

Marinette shook her head. “All the eligible youths are invited. I’m of age, and I really want to meet the Prince and see the rest of the Kingdom. I’m allowed to attend by decree of the King, and you cannot reverse that decision.” 

Chloe smirked. “I thought you might say that.” She stopped picking at her fingernails and suddenly leaned in. “How long have you been working on that dress of yours again? I know you’re a good seamstress, but I bet that you couldn’t fix it up before the ball, if it were, say, ripped apart.” Her words echoed in the empty room, and Marinette felt her fists clench in response. “And someone like you would only have rags as a back-up, anyway.” 

Marinette stiffened. “What you wear doesn’t matter, Chloe. It’s who you are inside that counts. Beauty on the outside,” she gestured to Chloe’s lovely clothes and shining hair, “doesn’t make up for bitterness on the inside,” she spat, and she whirled around, pushing Sabrina out of the way. “Don’t threaten me or my outfit if you’re too scared that the Prince might actually give me a second glance. Just be a better person yourself. Or is that too hard for you?” 

As Marinette turned to leave, Chloe raised a fist and shrieked, “You’ll regret that, Dupain-Cheng!” She smiled darkly. “Oh, you’ll regret it.” 

And Marinette later did. 

She returned home without any mishap, only explaining away her late arrival back home as a “run-in” with Lady Chloe, without providing further details. Although she hid Alya’s dress, worried that Chloe might mistake it for Marinette’s and try to ruin it, she refused to hide her own too. She refused to cower in the face of that bully or accept her threats. 

But the next night, when Marinette returned home from the bakery, excited to put finishing touches on her and Alya’s dresses, her parents had greeted her at the front door with looks of despair on their faces. 

“Break-in—” 

“Only your room—” 

“Dress ruined—” 

“No witnesses, no one knows who could have done this—” 

“Left a note—” 

Swimming through the phrases of information that her parents provided, Marinette tried to grasp their meaning through her shock as she dashed up three flights of stairs to reach her bedroom. Shoving the door open, she entered to find her room ransacked – slippers thrown across the floor, curtains ripped, bed disheveled, trunks thrown open, clothes and sewing supplies strewn across the room and piled up in the corners. But worst of all, lying in the center of the room, was Marinette’s pink dress, ripped to shreds. A note had been left on top of it, with writing in perfect cursive script. 

_I told you you’d regret it._

Bursting into tears, Marinette dashed away from the bakery. How could she ever have considered that her silly dreams, the silly dreams of an ordinary girl, might ever come true? She knew that she was talented and did her work well, but she’d never get noticed by someone as well-known and rich as the Prince. She’d never meet him. Only those of Chloe’s rank would even be allowed to marry him anyway, she figured. It wasn’t just Chloe’s doing, it was a sign straight from the universe, ripping apart Marinette’s fantasies along with her gown. 

Brokenhearted, Marinette cried herself to sleep that night. 

And although she finished Alya’s dress (which Chloe hadn’t found), using a lovely golden-yellow fabric to contrast with her dark skin, Marinette refused to try to find herself a replacement. On the night of the ball, she made some final adjustments to Alya’s gown and flopped down on her bed, too tired to hold herself up anymore. Alya began to protest that they could still get Marinette a dress and that they could still attend the ball together, but Marinette interrupted her. 

“Chloe was right, Alya. Go and have fun. Tell me all about it when you get back!” She tried to inject some enthusiasm into her voice, but Alya saw through her charade. 

“No, girl! We worked too hard, and I am not going to leave you like this to go off to some party. No rich lord or handsome prince is going to keep me apart from my best friend!” 

Marinette shook her head sadly, pigtails brushing her shoulders. “Alya, no. I really don’t want to go. It’ll only make me more upset that I couldn’t go on my own terms. I was already at Chloe’s mercy once; how would the ball be any different? She’ll only keep trying to make my life a nightmare, and yours if you go with me. It would be like letting her win.” 

“Mari, no. If you don’t go, that’ll really be letting her win. Don’t you see? When have you ever not stood up against her? When Ivan got bullied for his feelings for Mylene, you brought them together! When Nathaniel got teased for his art, you encouraged him and got him together with Marc – they’re so happy now!” 

“So I’m just a matchmaker?” Marinette smiled and looked up from the ground, where her head had been pointed dejectedly all week. 

Alya smiled and leaned in, causing Marinette to blush slightly. “No. You’re also gorgeous and talented and witty and charming. You’ll show Chloe who’s boss.” 

After a moment, Marinette sighed. “Maybe at the next ball, Alya. I’m sorry. I just really don’t think I can. I know you’re right, but it’s just—sometimes—” 

Alya placed her hand on Marinette’s softly. “It’ll be okay, girl. I don’t want to force you, if you’re really not feeling up to going, and no one can blame you after what happened. You’re strong enough to make the right choice. I trust you, and let me know if you end up going, okay?” 

Marinette had smiled, just for Alya, but once she was gone, Marinette laid down on her bed, ready to begin weeping. Sniffling, she grabbed a hankerchief and prepared to blow her nose, until she saw something red on the floor. 

“Hello, Marinette!” 

“AHHHHHHH! A bug! A mouse! A bug-mouse!” 

\------

Prince Adrien and Lord Nino pressed themselves deeper into the broom closet and held their hands over their mouths, trying not to make a sound. 

“Adrien? Adrien?” A pause. “Oh, god, the King’s going to kill me,” muttered the searching maid. 

Adrien and Nino exchanged glances and tried not to burst out laughing, waiting until they heard the maid’s footsteps fade away. 

“Dude, that was AWESOME! Thanks for hiding me.” Adrien whispered, high-fiving Nino. 

Nino laughed. “Of course! Anyone would. I mean, the King’s crazy controlling, I can’t believe how he treats you.” 

Adrien shook his fair hair out of his eyes. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you had to do this for me.” He folded Nino into a hug. “It means a lot for me to have a friend like you.” 

Nino reddened for a moment before hugging Adrien back. “I got your back, bro, always. And I know you definitely needed a break after what your dad made you do.” Nino began to mimic the King’s harsh tone perfectly. “’You need more than one ball to make a decision? Fine, then. We shall have three.’ Like that is NOT what you meant.” 

Adrien laughed and put his arm around Nino’s shoulders. “I know, right? Like, no one will even treat me normally anyway. They’ll all be trying to impress me, treating me like I’m some prop or some job they’re an applicant for.” Adrien sighed. “I had silly thoughts about falling in love over time, with a friend, like normal people do. Like—Nino, how do normal people fall in love?” 

“Definitely not after two seconds talking at a party, right?” 

Adrien shook his head. “In the books, people fall in love after a romantic adventure. Two ordinary people, on a quest together, saving the world as one. Maybe they meet in a romantic forest, and they kiss on the cheek…” Adrien’s voice drifted away as his eyes shone dreamily. 

Nino rolled his eyes and elbowed him. “You’re a nerd, you know that, right?” 

“No, I’m cool!” Adrien protested. “I’m cool, ‘cause I’ve got cool friends. Like you,” Adrien added with a wink, and Nino snickered. Suddenly, both boys heard footsteps coming down the corridor. 

“Who is that?” Adrien whispered. “That doesn’t sound like—mmph!” Nino clamped a hand over Adrien’s mouth with a glare. 

“Adrien. This behavior is not suitable for a Crown Prince. We can discuss this like adults or not at all.” The cold voice paused, and Adrien’s eyes widened in horror as he realized the identity of the speaker. “You must be engaged within two months or lose access to the crown. Is that clear, Adrien?” Another pause. “I know you can hear me.” The voice was just outside the closet door, but Adrien was too frightened to open the door and face his father. 

Nino, however, had no such fears. He swung the closet door wide open, much to Adrien’s surprise, and stood eye to eye with the King. “King Gabriel, with all due respect, sir, this is unacceptable! You can’t threaten to take away Adrien’s position and title just because he has emotions! He has a right to be hesitant – he normally never disobeys you, and even for this, I know he ultimately won’t. But he’s miserable. How can you not see it? Just cut him some slack, just this one, and let him –” 

“Silence!” Gabriel declared. Although he hadn’t raised his voice, both boys cringed at his tone. “No one, especially some rich noble’s son, can talk back to me in that way. Adrien, if you have something to say to me, say it yourself.” 

“Father, I did. I expressed my concerns whether I could fall in love—” 

“I’m not asking you to fall in love. I’m asking you to find a suitable life partner. Man, woman, genderfluid, nonbinary, I don’t care. But you must be married and willing to raise children and cement your dedication to this kingdom at once.” A silence stretched between them. “Do you have any further objections?” 

Adrien bit his lip. “Father, I just want to be happy. I shouldn’t marry someone I don’t love. That wouldn’t be fair to me or to them! If you want me to find a ‘suitable partner,’ then just pick someone for me that meets your standards. Don’t give me a sham of a choice just to criticize my reluctance to agree to your decision!” 

Both Gabriel and Nino seemed shocked at Adrien’s outburst. Noticing this, Adrien softened his tone and grabbed Nino’s wrist, turning away from his father with the intention of returning to his room. “I’ve always done everything you’ve asked, and I will continue to do so. But I will do so on my terms. You gave me this little opportunity to actually have some semblance of control over my life.” He turned back to meet his father’s cold eyes with his brilliant green stare. “I won’t waste this chance.” Whirling around again, he dragged Nino off to his room before anyone could object, and slammed the door behind him. 

Nino grasped him by the shoulders. “Dude, that was amazing! But I wish you had fought him a little harder. Maybe he’d be more impressed and he might let you off the hook!” 

Adrien smiled. “Oh, don’t worry, I think I have a way to solve at least one of my issues with this, and have some fun on my own. The only thing is—” Adrien bit his lip, giving his friend his best attempt at puppy-dog eyes. “I’m going to need some help. Will you—” 

\------ 

“—help me?” Marinette sounded astonished. “Why would you want to help _me_?”

The little red bug drifted up off of the floor. “I’m your fairy godmother, child, I told you. Your family has a long history with magic, and tonight, it’s my job to introduce you to some of it and make your dreams come true!” their voice squeaked happily. 

Marinette bit her lip. “No offense, but…I thought fairy godmothers were supposed to look a bit…different?” 

The bug frowned and put their little hands on their hips. “What do you mean?” they asked irately. 

Marinette tapped her fingers together nervously. “Well…uh…”

The magical being sighed. “I’m like a combo between genie and fairy godmother. It’s called a kwami. Is that better, Marinette?” 

She nodded and reached out to pet the little bug. “Okay, I guess that makes sense.” She rubbed the little bug’s tummy, and they giggled. “Aww…you’re so cute! Do you have a name?” 

The being giggled again. “I’m Tikki!” they stated proudly. 

“’Kay, but how does your magic work?” Marinette asked, raising a brow quizzically. “Do you have a wand?”

“Nope!” chirped Tikki. “I have something better.” They dashed away for a moment before returning with a small wooden box, marked with a brown symbol across the top. Marinette opened the box curiously, and saw a pair of black shiny earrings sitting inside. 

“Earrings? How is that—” 

\------

“—going to help you?” Nino asked, surprised. “A disguise? Will that even fool anyone? “

Adrien grinned. “Each ball is themed. I get to pick the themes. And I’m going to pick masquerade. I’ll go for the first hour or so as Adrien, meet all the people, shake their hands, everything that a proper Prince should. But then, if you can cover for me, I’ll excuse myself to do something random, come back to my room, and change into a costume. If I wear a different mask that covers my face better, change up my hair, and just go as another guest at the ball, no one will ever know! If you can sneak me back in, it’ll be like I was supposed to be there. And I was. Just not as – well – whoever I’m going to be!” 

Nino frowned, then smiled, clapping his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “It sounds like it might work! And of course I’ll gladly help you however I can. But who will you go as?” 

Adrien bit his lip. “I have no idea. Maybe a knight? I’ve gotten knight’s training, I should be able to pull it off. The knights are all invited, but not all the knights know each other, so it won’t be weird that they don’t know me or recognize my fake name.” 

Nino nodded. “Okay, but what will your fake name be, anyway? And what outfit are you going to wear? How are you going to even get an outfit?” 

“I can sneak out some stuff – no one will question it. My father likes to design clothes anyways, and I model them a lot, so he’ll probably be ecstatic that I’m showing interest in clothes anyway and ordering extra. But he won’t pay that much attention to what I order, so I could pick any theme or outfit. It’s a purr-fect plan, Nino!” Adrien winked. 

Nino rubbed his hands together excitedly. “Dude, your obsession for cat puns just might be the answer! Go as –” 

\------

“--a Ladybug?” Tikki wrinkled their nose. “Are you sure, Marinette?” 

Marinette nodded, beginning to pace as a plan formed in her mind. “Yes! My dress was going to be themed pink and red, and I love your little spots! This way, we can combine it all. You can transform me into whomever I want, right? I want to be Ladybug-themed. My father—” She smiled. “He always called me ‘my little lucky Ladybug.’ And if Ladybugs are lucky, I’m going to need all the luck I can get!” 

She paused suddenly and began wringing her hands in her dress. “But I’m…worried. I don’t want Chloe finding me tonight and asking me questions about what I’m wearing or bullying me and Alya.” She cupped her hands, and Tikki hopped into her palms and nuzzled close. “I need to keep you a secret, too, Tikki, but I want to attend the ball. How can we do it?” 

Tikki smiled. “You know, Marinette, you don’t have to go as yourself, don’t you?” 

Marinette smiled in response. “No, you’re right. I don’t at all.” 

And she hadn’t. Tikki had manifested the carriage and horses out of next to nothing, charming lizards into footmen, vines into wheels, and mice into horses with practiced ease. When Marinette asked whether there was a time limit, Tikki had shaken their head. “Time limit? Why would I give you magic and then randomly take it away? That doesn’t even make any sense!” 

The final transformation was for Marinette herself. She had to speak a series of magical words that could cause her outfit change, and Tikki had taught her the reverse words as well. 

“It’s kind of weird, Tikki. Why do I have to say: ‘Tikki, spots on’ to get my--? Oh, shoot!” she cried, as she realized her mistake and Tikki merged into her earring with a squeal of glee. 

And now they were here. 

At the ball. 

The palace gates were opened, and they were waved through without a hitch. Marinette saw others arriving late with her and felt less alone, less nervous. She hadn’t told her parents she had changed her mind. Tikki had mentioned that her family was destined for magic, but they had insisted on remaining a secret for now, and Marinette didn’t mind. She wanted to feel dangerous and powerful tonight. Not a beloved baker’s daughter, but a witty, kindhearted Princess. A true royal, worthy of Prince Adrien’s time. 

A guard took her hand and guided her to the marble steps of the palace. She paused at the wide wooden doors, thrown open, signifying that anyone was free to enter. Anyone was free to take a place beside the Prince. And tonight, Marinette wanted to be that person. She wanted to be wanted. She wanted—

“Miss, how shall I announce you?” 

“I—what?” 

“Your name,” the doorman repeated patiently. “How shall I announce you to the ball?” 

“Announce me?” Marinette’s eyes widened in horror. Although she was sure that the magic would hide her identity, she didn’t want to attract any extra attention. “D-do you have to?” 

The doorman frowned. “Of course, miss. We announce everyone’s names, give everyone a chance to be noticed.” 

Marinette paused, then squared her shoulders. She wasn’t shy, bullied Marinette tonight. Tonight, she was everything she wanted to be. “Call me Ladybug, monsieur,” she murmured demurely, then strode to the doors of the ballroom, filled with blind courage. 

“Announcing the one and only, Ladybug!”


	2. Introducing Ladybug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug arrives at the ball and begins her search for the Prince, but she runs into a clumsy cat instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LadyNoir and Alya x Nino fans, this one's for you! :)

#  The Ladybug and the Crown 

##  Introducing Ladybug 

Shaking legs hidden beneath the skirts of her gown, Marinette stood at the top of the stairs leading into the ballroom’s main level, feeling the eyes of the crowd on her. The muted claps of the gathering quickly faded away, leaving her to make her descent in near-silence, with only the orchestra’s dance music accompanying her. 

The room was enormous, big enough to fit all the kingdom’s eligible youth and their families, with the finest nobles brushing silk-clad elbows the common folk. The crystal chandelier hung over the center of the room, providing light across the whole gathering. Rooms off to the side allowed for quieter conversation, lined with bookcases and filled with marble-topped tables cleverly placed next to velvet-cushioned chairs. 

Once she reached the main floor, she took a deep breath and began trying to find Prince Adrien. She had seen no sign of him from her vantage point at the top of the staircase, but surely guests would be talking about him, right? She wove between party-goers and eavesdropped on their conversations. 

“Look at what he’s wearing, it’s disgusting. Who does he think he is?” 

“That girl, why’s she talking to _him_? He’s a high-rank courtier, and she’s nobody!” Marinette grit her teeth in anger and stepped quickly past the speaker. 

“Oh, I spoke to the Prince twice tonight!” Marinette stopped walking in order to hear better. “We’re meant to be. And how many times did he talk to you? None!” 

Realizing that the conversation was about to devolve into a competitive shouting match, she left the area and kept searching for the elusive Prince in the crowd. “How can they be talking about him but not be paying him proper attention? Doesn’t anyone care what he’s doing right now, how he feels?” she muttered under her breath. “Where could he be—oof!” She yelped as she crashed into another body, both tumbling to the ground. 

She immediately pulled away and dusted herself off, hoping that her gown hadn’t been ruined by the rude guest who had slammed into her. “Watch where you’re going! You ought to be more careful; just because you’re in a hurry doesn’t mean that you can treat people like obstacles.” 

The other person groaned and clutched their head, and she noticed two cat ears sticking up from their blond hair before they tipped their head up, meeting her bluebell gaze with piercing green eyes of their own. Her breath faltered for just a second – those eyes seemed to be devouring her. 

“I’m so sorry!” the person responded, falling into a bow smoothly and breaking their momentary connection. “I would never intentionally hurt such a beautiful guest.” They reached for her hand and kissed the back of it. The person pitched their voice lower, and Marinette felt a shiver go down her spine. “How shall I beg for your mercy?” 

Ladybug-Marinette rolled her eyes at his over-the-top flattery. “Hmm,” she began, flicking the bell on his black leather cat costume with a giggle. “Perhaps you can be a jester for me. After all, you’re dressed for the part, and I find your foolishness rather amusing.” 

The person placed a gloved hand on their chest in mock horror, as if her words had wounded them. “Oh, how you mock my pain!” 

“And I shall continue to. Nice ears,” she teased. “Very _purr_ -fessional.” She winked, and she thought she saw his eyes widen with joy at her cat pun. “I’m sure the Prince will be pleased to meet such a silly, over-the-top cat in a rush.” 

The cat-person bowed again. “Well, this cat does live to serve the Prince. And you, of course, er—” 

“Ladybug,” Marinette interjected. “She, her, hers.” 

“Of course, my lady-bug. I’m Chat Noir, he series.” The person winked and leaned towards her as if to kiss her cheek, as was the customary greeting in the Kingdom, but Ladybug tapped his nose and pushed him away from her with a smirk. 

“Oh, no, no, naughty Kitty. I only let handsome Princes kiss me, not scoundrels dressed like silly black cats. I’ve got high standards. And what kind of name is _Chat Noir_ , anyway?” 

Chat Noir grinned, as if sharing a secret joke with her. “My a-paw-logies, milady.” She groaned at the pun, making him chuckle before he continued. “I thought that nobles like you were willing to let any commoner or knight kiss them tonight.” 

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” Ladybug interrupted, eyes widening. He thought she was a noble? 

“I meant that purr-haps you want to kiss a lovely knight like myself tonight just for some fun, before you find a handsome courtier to whisk you off into the sunset for good.” He smirked, not noticing Ladybug’s disgusted frown. “And if Chat Noir is a weird name, then what kind of name is _Ladybug_?” He followed up his words with a wink, leaning closer to her as if attempting another kiss, but Marinette scoffed at his flirt act and turned her head away. 

“Ladybug is a name that’s far too good for your lips to sully.” She crossed her arms angrily. “And I don’t appreciate your insinuation! I don’t judge people by their station in life. They have to impress me first.” 

“Of course, bugaboo, as you wish. But if you don’t judge people by their class, then why are you searching for the _Prince_?” Chat Noir held up his hands in claws, pretending to swipe them towards her. “He could be a self-centered brat, for all you know, why waste your wonderful charm and beauty on him? Unless it’s just for his money.” 

Ladybug put her hands on her hips. “I don’t want him for his money, or his title. He’s no brat, nor a scoundrel like you! He’s kind and generous. He visits all the lands and is never cross or angry or mean to anyone he meets. Everyone has only good, kind things to say about him. It’s not his fault he’s a Prince, forced to be a prop for people’s picture-perfect daydreams.” She ducked her head, suddenly feeling shy at her outburst and sorry for her Prince. “I hope he knows that he’s more than that.” 

Chat Noir seemed taken aback by her words. “You speak strongly for him,” he replied softly. “I won’t interfere with your decision, then, and hope that you find happiness. Good luck with your Prince.” He hesitated. “But, my lady, purrrrr-haps you will save me a dance tonight?” he winked at her and saluted, preparing to depart. 

He probably said that to all the people he ran into. She wondered how many other people were anticipating dances with the ridiculous Chat Noir. “We’ll see, Kitty-cat. But don’t get your hopes up,” she declared with a smirk as she confidently strode away from him, leaving him in her wake. 

Chat Noir stared after her admiringly. “Can’t wait, milady.” 

\------ 

Chat Noir caught sight of Nino flirting with a beautiful guest in a gorgeous golden gown. He walked up to Nino and waited for him to notice. 

“Well, I write music for my friends all the time, maybe I’ll write a song for you,” he was saying to the guest with a smile, his flushed face betraying his smooth words. 

The person laughed. “Very smooth, do you use that line on all the other ladies, too?” 

“Only you, Lady Alya.” He leaned closer to her, and Adrien figured that now was the best time to interrupt. 

“Uh, Nino?” 

Both turned toward him, surprised. Adrien realized with a start that neither automatically bowed nor masked their expressions because he was no longer dressed as the Crown Prince. Exhilarated by this reminder of his freedom, he grinned, happily bowing to both before grabbing Nino’s elbow. “Lord Nino, I have to speak with you about some urgent business.” 

Nino nodded abstractly. “Sure, Ad-uh, Chat Noir! But allow me to introduce you first to the lovely Lady Alya.” 

Lady Alya shook her head with a rueful smile. “You can just call me Alya, Chat Noir. I’m no noble.” 

“Nonsense,” Adrien replied with a smile. “If Lord Nino thinks you’re a noble, then you must be one.” 

She blushed and laughed. Adrien was enraptured by the sound, the sound of someone being themselves without any fear of repercussions. “Clearly, both of you went to the same charm school, huh?” she parried back. 

Nino and Adrien grinned guiltily at each other. “More like we watched the same bad romantic plays,” Adrien explained. 

“Is that where you got the idea for the cat costume?” she asked. 

Adrien shrugged. “More like I loved cat puns so much that I became one?” he offered. 

“Oh really? Well, my best friend, she made _my_ dress.” 

Adrien’s eyes widened. “She _made_ it? It’s beautiful,” he praised honestly. “I’ve never seen anything like it! Who is your friend? A tailor?” 

Alya shook her head. “No, she’s the daughter of the best bakery in our region, I bet even in our whole Kingdom.” Adrien thought of the lovely smell of freshly-baked bread and felt his mouth water. “Her name’s Marinette.” 

“She seems talented,” Nino replied respectfully. “Is she here tonight?” 

Alya bit her lip sadly. “No. She had a bad run-in with Lady Chloe, and that witch ruined Mari’s dress at the last minute!” Her fists were clenched by her side. “I told her to come anyway, but—” 

“ _Chloe_ ruined her dress!” Adrien exclaimed angrily, forgetting to be Chat for a moment. “Poor Marinette! I can’t believe that Chloe did that…I’ve always thought that she was, at heart, a good person…” he trailed off. 

Alya looked at Chat curiously. “Do you know her well?” she asked. 

Realizing his mistake, Chat tried to backpedal. “No, no! I just heard stories—from…from working with the Crown Prince when he trained with us! I’m just a knight, how could I know any of the nobles so well to make judgements on their character?” He held his hands up, trying not to look guilty. 

“You know the Crown Prince?” she replied, surprised. “You know Prince Adrien?” 

Both boys exchanged glances, trying to hide their grins. “Yes, I do. But not super well!” Adrien cried. 

Nino resisted the urge to face-palm. He had forgotten, when they were concocting this plan, that Adrien was the worst liar ever. 

But Alya didn’t notice. “Well, Marinette really wanted to see him. She’s had a huge…uh…admiration for the Prince ever since she was young. She didn’t get a chance to meet him tonight, but if you know him, I hope you’ll put in a good word for her? And if she attends the next ball, could you introduce them to each other? I know she’d appreciate it.” 

Ladybug flashed for a moment in front of his eyes – another Crown Prince admirer, but for the right reasons. He wondered, and internally doubted, whether baker’s daughter Marinette admired the Prince like that too. “It would be my pleasure, Lady Alya.” 

He turned to Nino. “But Lord Nino? The only message I wanted to pass on was that everything was going well—” he stared into Nino’s eyes meaningfully, and Nino nodded with a flash of understanding. “—and that nothing is present at the palace tonight to put the Prince in danger. Enjoy yourselves, Lady Alya and Lord Nino, and I hope to run into you both again!” He winked, saluted, kissed Alya’s hand, and whirled away across the dance floor, searching the crowd for a certain spotted girl and not noticing Alya’s suspicious glance after him. 

\------

The girl in question was still navigating through the crowd. She had just summoned up her courage to ask a stranger directly about Prince Adrien’s whereabouts when she heard the familiar tune of a village dance being played by the orchestra. Turning away from the crowd, she joined the dancers on the dance floor, whirling around others in delight and clapping her hands. She twirled, throwing her head back with joy, and feeling free, as free as she felt back home in her village. She imagined Nathaniel, Ivan, Mylene, Alix, Kim, even Chloe and Sabrina, and of course Alya, all dancing with her as they normally would have, had this been just a square dance back at home. 

But it wasn’t. 

The people all around her were strangers, dressed in costumes and masks and alien expressions. Marinette drew a breath and closed her eyes, losing herself to the familiar beat and forgetting the mask cutting into her face. 

_Just pretend it’s a regular party_ , she told herself. _And you’re Ladybug tonight. Basically a cool, confident superhero who would never be laughed at. Who can charm strangers and hopefully, the Prince. It’s you, but even more invincible._

She checked her surroundings again in order to keep her bearings and was surprised at how light-footed and quick she felt. At home, she would have been tripping all over herself, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Her heart ached for her family to be around her now, chuckling at her antics, and – _was that Alya_? 

She shifted position in order to better see the girl in the familiar golden dress, laughing and chatting with—Lord Nino? 

Marinette almost clapped her hands in joy. Her best friend had snagged the most eligible bachelor in the room, and judging by the jealous looks of others nearby, she had beaten out quite a bit of competition. 

Speeding up her motions, Marinette tried to catch up to her best friend. “Alya? Hey, Alya!” 

Alya turned around in confusion, meeting Marinette’s eyes before immediately looking away, back through the crowd. She murmured something in Nino’s ear, and Nino returned her gaze with a concerned glance. 

_She wouldn’t recognize me,_ Marinette realized grimly. _I forgot, I’m Ladybug, and I’m going to have to keep my distance if I want to keep my secret. She might recognize my voice, and I don’t want her to connect my voice with Ladybug if I want to protect Tikki and more importantly, protect Alya from Chloe._

She swallowed a lump in her throat and almost bumped into another dancer as she suddenly slowed her motions, not wanting to see her friend dance as she had so many times before. Marinette knew, however, that if she kept on moving, she would run directly into Alya during the next partner switch, so she slipped away with a twirl and forlornly walked to the bar. Maybe a drink would clear her head, and just as she ordered one, she felt a hand on her shoulder. 

She whirled around and made eye contact with a tall, older man, wearing a monocle and smiling at her. She waited for him to realize his mistake, that she was not whom he had been seeking, but his smile only widened at her silence. She felt uncomfortable under his attention, but she smiled politely back. 

“I’m sorry, sir, do I know you?” 

“Not at all, miss. I simply saw you dancing and wanted to… _introduce myself_. I’m Lord Wayem.” He licked his lips and leaned closer. 

Marinette tried to shift away from his grasp on her shoulder, trusting her instincts. “Uh, well, I’m Ladybug, it’s nice to meet you. I’ve got some friends waiting for me, though—” 

His grip tightened. “Not so fast. If I may have the honor of the next dance, miss?” 

She pushed him away from her. “No, I’m so sorry, I have to—” 

“Go?” he finished for her. “But where? I’m sure it won’t hurt to have just one dance with me, pretty girl.” 

Marinette hesitated, then firmly shook her head. “No. Thank you for the offer, but I already told you that I must be going.” She wrenched her arm away from his grasp, fully freeing herself. But he moved to block her path. 

“Some call me _Party Crasher_. I crash the party, and I dance with everyone there. You’ll fall in love with me, just you wait, _pretty girl_.” 

Marinette cringed away from him, trying not to feel fear. She was wearing a magical dress. She was Ladybug. She could take care of herself. Thinking fast, she stepped on his foot with her heels, jabbing his toes with her stilettos before artfully darting out of his path. “Whoops, sorry, sir, I have to go, sorry about your foot! Didn’t mean it!” 

_Totally did mean it,_ she thought to herself. _How dare he try to take advantage of her?_

But she hadn’t anticipated that his anger might linger. 

\------

Chat Noir felt as if he’d walked around the ballroom fifty times. Where could she be? He thought back to the softness in her voice, the light shining in her blue-black hair, her ferocious gaze, and her red-and-black dress, shining in the night. He had never felt for anyone what he felt for Ladybug. 

_Maybe you can fall in love talking to someone for two seconds at a party,_ he thought ruefully, remembering Nino’s words. _But she probably wouldn’t have spoken to Prince Adrien like that._

Not for the first time, he tried to match Ladybug’s features with nobles that he had met in the past and couldn’t think of anyone. Maybe Kagami? But she had brown eyes, not blue, and she was Japanese. Maybe Bridgette? No, her hair was longer, and besides, she was from a neighboring kingdom. She wouldn’t be here tonight. 

Frustrated, Chat Noir slammed his hands into a nearby table, attracting disapproving glances that he easily ignored. Being Chat Noir truly was wonderful.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice. 

“I have to go, sorry about your foot!” the girl cried out to the tall Lord behind her. “Didn’t mean it!” she added, Chat recognizing the insincerity in her voice. Surprised, he watched as the girl dashed out of Wayem’s outstretched arms and evaded his advances deftly. 

Lord Wayem was one of the most powerful lords in the kingdom. The only person who could have bravely turned down his attentions like that– Ladybug! 

He followed her as she darted deeper through the crowd and finally ducked into one of the side rooms, a pool of moonlight coming in through the window to shine on her face, giving her an ethereal appearance. Here she paused, catching her breath and wiping her brow. 

“Phew, that was close!” she murmured. 

Chat hid behind a pillar nearby, just outside of the room Ladybug now hid in. But the more he watched her, the more his skin prickled with worry. His Lady was basically alone right now and too far away from the crowd. If Wayem found her, he could easily try to take advantage of her. Chat clenched his gloved hands into fists before he closed one hand on the top of his sword’s hilt – a part of his knight outfit that he was quite glad for at the moment. 

Meanwhile, Ladybug had sunken onto one of the cushioned chairs in the side room, overwhelmed with the events of the night. Chat’s sympathies were awakened, and he began to move closer, when Wayem suddenly evolved out of the shadows and stepped through the threshold. 

“Hello, again, Miss,” he greeted, as Ladybug stood up frantically, looking towards the exit that Wayem now blocked. “It seems that you are out of your Ladybug luck tonight.” He smirked, eyes darkening and silver suit almost glowing in the night. His monocle seemed to reflect the light of his suit, making him seem almost inhuman. “Now, I ask again…” he added, pushing Ladybug back down onto her seat and standing over her. “Dance with me? I promise I’ll make it worth—” 

Chat dashed into the room and flicked his sword to Lord Wayem’s neck, silencing him. “Her while?” he finished, his voice barely above a gravelly whisper. “I sincerely doubt it.” 

Wayem hissed. “Who are you?” 

Chat ignored his question. “Harassing a lady? Have you forgotten your manners, Wayem?” he baited. 

Wayem’s face scrunched angrily. “How dare you accuse me? Nothing is wrong. Am I not allowed to speak with the lovely ladies at the ball? The Prince doesn’t get first pick of _everyone_ ,” he added darkly. 

Chat did not reply, and Wayem pulled away from him, satisfied by his silence. “At any rate, as a knight, it is your duty to protect the nobles and the royal family.” He stood in front of Ladybug, putting his back to her. “This is not your problem, _Cat-boy_.” 

Taking advantage of his distraction, Ladybug powerfully shoved Wayem forward with a roundhouse kick, making him tumble straight into Chat Noir, who caught him deftly and swung him down into a chair. 

Ladybug moved in front of Wayem, blocking him from getting back up, her lips pressed into a thin angry line and her gaze intense and fierce. Eyes glowing in fear, Wayem sank away from her, his monocle flashing in the moonlight. 

Chat grinned at her. “How strong you are, milady. But I’m not surprised.” 

Ladybug smirked back. “As you shouldn’t be,” she quickly replied, before turning her attention back to Wayem. 

Plucking out his monocle, Ladybug frowned down at the man unflinchingly. “Anyone who could see or hear me knew that I wasn’t comfortable dancing with you. But turning you down isn’t part of a game. It doesn’t give you the right to threaten me again on my own. Don’t let your emotions get the better of you, Lord Wayem, and don’t ever harass anyone again.” 

She glared down at him hatefully. “You do not even deserve the title of Lord.” Smirking, she handed the monocle to Chat without taking her eyes off of Wayem. Understanding her intentions, Chat obligingly crushed the glass with his tough gloves and threw it into the fireplace. “And now,” Ladybug continued, “I don’t think I will refer to you with that title again, Party Crasher.” She leaned forward threateningly, Chat Noir by her side with his sword in his hand. Wayem whimpered in fear, closing his eyes. 

“I’m sorry we have to threaten you, but your behavior was inexcusable. Don’t repeat this again, understood?” Ladybug concluded. Chat Noir placed the point of his sword on Wayem’s chin, pressing into the warm flesh until tears prickled in Wayem’s eyes, now unhidden by the monocle. 

“Answer her,” Chat added gruffly. 

Wayem opened his mouth and stammered, “Y-y-yes. Please let me go. I promise, I won’t.” 

Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged glances and as one, moved away from his chair, leaving Wayem to recover his wits himself. The cat-and-bug duo fist-bumped, linked arms, and walked out, laughing at his horror as they re-entered the central ballroom. 

Ladybug turned to smile at Chat, touching him on the cheek with gratitude before pulling away. “Thank you, chaton, for stepping in back there.” 

Chat smiled adoringly back at her. “Anytime, my Lady.” He grinned cheekily. “After all, we do make an amazing couple.” 

Ladybug rolled her eyes. “We’re a team, Kitty, not a couple!” She paused a moment before smiling again. “But we _are_ an unstoppable team.” 

Chat Noir bowed extravagantly. “There’s nothing more I’d rather do than stop low-life nobility from abusing their power, and no one else I’d rather do it with than you, my Lady.” He tipped his head up, meeting her gaze with his deep green eyes. “I will always be there to fight by your side.” 

She blushed and nodded resolutely. “And I yours.” Their gazes entangled and held for a long moment before Ladybug looked away, shifting her gaze back to the dancers swirling around on the ballroom floor. 

Chat Noir playfully frowned at her. “Still searching for your Purrince, my Lady?” He leaned closer. “Well, I can assure you, I’m far more charming and handsome than he is.” 

Ladybug laughed and pushed his nose back, his nose wrinkling under her finger. “I doubt that, Kitty, but now is no time for your childish charm. I only came tonight to see the Prince, and I haven’t even caught a passing glimpse! I mean, I can’t believe no one’s even talking about him or his whereabouts right now!” she exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips in frustration. 

Chat Noir tapped his toes uncomfortably on the ground. “I’m not surprised. Most of these people—” he gestured around the room – “aren’t really here for him.” Ladybug looked at him curiously. “They’re only here to get a claim to his crown, or to the throne, or to his money. Not all of them,” he said, dropping his head to kiss the back of her hand, “have your pure intentions.” He winked, and she rolled her eyes before pulling her hand away. But her gestures seemed tinged with sadness – sympathy for the Prince, Chat Noir realized with a start. 

“You have an excellent chance of winning his heart, I’m sure,” he continued, wanting to take her mind off of his sorry tale. “although I’m still not sure why you’d want it when you could have me instead.” He posed ridiculously, making Ladybug laugh. 

“I’m not quite sure if a silly, flirty, over-the-top, Kitty is quite up to taking on the kindness and sweetness of a royal Prince. It’s not all about looks or charm.” 

Chat Noir smirked and leaned in again, bumping her forehead gently with his, and he wiggled his eyebrows like a storybook villain. “So you admit that I’m handsome and charming then, my Lady.” 

She put a hand on her hip and matched the intensity of his stare with one of her own. “Well, your arrogance doesn’t contribute to either, Kitty.” 

“One battle at a time,” he parried, feeling her breath on his lips. Enraptured by her beauty, Chat found that he couldn’t look away. 

Suddenly, the lively airs the orchestra had been playing shifted to a slower dance. Couples filled up the dance floor, holding each other tightly. Ladybug looked at them, her lips parted slightly, trying to spot the Prince or Alya dancing with Nino.

Chat Noir offered his hand toward her, bowing slightly at the waist. “My Lady, would you honor me with this dance?” 

Ladybug looked up at him through her lashes. “Only since Party Crasher isn’t offering.” 

He laughed and took her hand, letting her lead the way to the dance floor, her confidence and beauty overwhelming him, as he followed with admiration curling his lips. 

Once they reached the dance floor, their hands interlaced automatically, palms separated only by their gloves. Chat guided her other hand to his shoulder and placed his own lightly on her waist. They began to slowly waltz, moving perfectly in sync. 

Chat brought his lips to her ear. “You dance beautifully.” 

Ladybug chuckled. “Your flirting never stops, does it?” 

Chat raised his hand, allowing her to twirl, before catching hold of her wrist to bring her back. “I never say anything I don’t mean, milady.” 

“Somehow I doubt that.” 

“It’s true,” Chat continued, as they moved into the second part of the dance, hands on each others’ waists as the duo circled each other. “You dance with this understated grace and confidence, like you know that you can handle any situation, any dance, any moves I throw at you, like you’ll bravely stand up to any threat.” He paused, noticing her surprise at his earnest words. “Why do you doubt me? You must be the most famous Lady of your land, surely?” 

Ladybug looked deeply into Chat Noir’s eyes, blue drawn towards green. She could feel his gaze devouring her again, and this time, she didn’t want to look away. 

The music shifted, and she automatically flipped around, placing her back against his chest, as he led her through the next series of steps. She realized that she didn’t have to focus on the placement of her feet, or worry about slipping on the back of her dress. He was too in sync with her, and she had her Ladybug poise. 

“No. I’m –I’m no one. Just an ordinary… Lady. I can handle many a situation, but only when I have to. Nothing special at all.” 

Chat spun her with surprising ferocity. “No, don’t say that about yourself! You’re extraordinary. I believe it.” He whispered into her ear, and Ladybug felt herself shiver involuntarily. “I can see it.” 

She shook her head. “You’ve known me for an evening. How can you make such a hasty conclusion?” 

Chat froze, knocking them both out of the trance of the dance, and leaned close. “I trust my heart. Don’t you follow yours? Against all odds, against everyone else’s judgement, don’t you trust your heart?” 

Ladybug bit her lip. “Yes, yes, I do.” 

Chat inclined his head towards her and lightly clasped her chin with his leather-gloved fingers. “So then I must ask: do you trust mine?” 

Ladybug felt her head lift up to follow his, feeling as if she’d slipped out of her own body. “I-I—I trust you, chaton; that much I’m sure of. And I don’t know why.” 

The song ended, and the two suddenly separated, realizing that they’d simply been standing in the middle of the dance floor, gazing into each other eyes. 

An announcer wearing a red printed shirt with white flowers, looking a bit ridiculous in the crowd of costumes, gowns, and tuxedos, walked to the top of the staircase and cleared his throat. An expectant silence descended immediately. 

“The first ball, themed Masquerade, will end in a couple of minutes. On behalf of the royal family, we thank you for joining us tonight, and we hope to see you all again at the next one, in two weeks’ time. Have a pleasant rest of your night.” 

Ladybug gasped. “Oh, no! I have to get back before—” She stopped abruptly, looking guiltily at Chat. “I’m sorry, Chat Noir,” she began, touching his hand lightly. “I have to go.” She picked up her skirts and dashed off of the dance floor, toward one of the exits. 

“No, Ladybug! Wait!” Chat charged after her. “Wait! Please – just—at least – tell me your name! I’ll tell you mine, I—” 

“NO!” Ladybug cried, louder than she expected. She stopped running and whirled to face him. “No,” she added, quieter now. “I can’t tell you.” 

She closed her eyes, picturing Chat’s surprise and disappointment at discovering that she was no noble. He would be angry that she had wasted his night, and she would feel guilty for spending her time with someone who was not the Prince. She knew the right thing to do would be to tell him the truth, to put him out of his misery and fix his mistake. But selfishly, she wanted to keep being Ladybug a little bit longer. _No harm done, right?_ She thought to herself. _Ladybug wouldn’t be attending the next ball anyway, and I don’t want to ruin my Ladybug memories with an identity reveal quite yet._

Taking a deep breath, she steeled her confidence and reopened her eyes. “I will tell you this – don’t expect me at the next one, chaton. It was a pleasure to meet you, truly, but I hope you find another Lady for yourself.”

Chat Noir felt tears prickling at his eyes. “But I already have found my Lady.” 

Ladybug shook her head. “I don’t want to hurt you, Chat. You’re my friend, and I wouldn’t want to hurt a friend.” She clasped her hands together nervously. “I-I only want to protect your happiness.”

Chat placed her hand in his. “Then please milady, tell me your name.” 

She hesitated, and at that moment, the clock began to toll. 

“Midnight,” Chat noted offhandedly. “The ball’s officially over, now.” 

Ladybug’s eyes widened in fright. “They’ll all begin leaving! And then—” She stopped speaking again. “I have to get back.” 

_What are you hiding, my Lady?_ Chat wondered. 

Swallowing, he released her hand. “Then, I leave you here. But please – find me again at the next one. Please.” 

Ladybug nodded haltingly before running away again, leaving him with empty hands and a full heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why are Nino and Adrien the worst liars? Also, I just love writing LadyNoir.   
> As always, please feel free to leave comments down below; I love to read them!! :D


	3. Flour and Chat Noir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien can't stop thinking about Ladybug, and Nino can't stop thinking of Alya. Curious about Marinette, Adrien agrees to don his disguise and sneak out to visit the girls with Nino. Shenanigans ensue.

#  The Ladybug and the Crown 

##  Flour and Chat Noir 

“Tikki, spots off! Spots off! Phew!” 

Marinette faceplanted onto her bed as Tikki collapsed next to her, relieved that no one had seen her return and that she had beaten Alya home. 

“Do you have any food for me, Marinette?" Tikki asked. "I need to recharge; it’s been a long day, hasn’t it?”

Marinette flipped over and pressed her hands to her forehead. “Yes, yes it has. There's a few cookies for you on top of my nightstand; will that work?” As Tikki munched on the cookies, Marinette kicked her bedspread with her heels and tried not to think about the events of the night, failing miserably as she remembered Chat’s glowing green eyes, his flirty smirk, their dance, and Chat’s unhappiness as she’d left. But why had she even bothered to spend time with him? She should have at least tried to have one conversation with Prince Adrien! The whole night had been wasted. 

“Marinette?” Tikki broke through her thoughts. “Are you all right?” 

Marinette groaned. “No, Tikki, I just—I can’t believe what happened. I feel bad – I don’t want to break Chat’s heart, but he doesn’t really love me, right? I mean, we just met today!” 

Tikki hesitated. “What do you think?” 

Marinette kicked her feet again. “I don’t know! I just don’t know.” She paused and propped her head up on her elbow. “He seems like a very good guy. He saved me. I…I want to stay his friend, but I’m deceiving him, making him think I’m actually a noble. If he found out I was a baker’s daughter, would he still think…would he still think he loved me?” 

Tikki moved to sit on top of Marinette’s head, trying to comfort her with light touches. 

Suddenly, noises of chatter and clatter came from downstairs. Alya must be back, and as promised, she would be here to tell her all about her night! Tikki ducked away to hide under the bed as Marinette smiled in anticipation. She loved the fun that she always had with her friend, and she was excited to hear all about how Lord Nino had been. Pretending to be asleep, she closed her eyes and snuggled up under the covers. 

The door crashed open. “Marinette! Marinette! Girl, you are not going to believe—are you wearing make-up in bed?” 

Marinette’s eyes popped open in horror. “Uhhh…I just put some on…for fun? And I guess I forgot I was wearing it, ha ha, silly me!” 

Alya laughed, seeming to buy her excuse. “Gosh, you’re funny.” Then her eyes softened. “But no, really, how are you?” 

Marinette hesitated. “I’m okay, Alya.” She smiled and placed her hand on top of Alya’s. “Really.” 

Alya smiled and began to remove her earrings. “Well, girl, don’t worry, you didn’t miss much. I barely even saw Prince Adrien; I bet he slipped out pretty early on because no one talked about him after, like, the first half-hour.” Alya hesitated, and Marinette recognized the longing in her eyes. 

“Is that aallll?” Marinette teased, nudging her friend as she tugged her down to sit on the bed next to her. 

Alya giggled. “Well…I met Lord Nino tonight. And let me tell you, he is more handsome in person. But he has, like, no moves. But he’s still so weirdly….adorable somehow?” Her eyes glazed over before she shook her head and refocused on Marinette. “But that doesn’t mean anything!” she shrieked, before Marinette shoved a pillow at her, laughing. 

“Are you sureee, Alya? Sounds like love to me!” she smirked and raised an eyebrow before Alya shoved a pillow back at her, and soon their conversation devolved into a pillow fight. 

“Ack, Alya!” Marinette squealed. Suddenly, Alya straightened. “Oh no! I’m ruining the dress you made for me! Let me change, then let me fill you in on all the gossip.” 

Marinette dropped back onto the bed with a gleam in her eyes. “Ooh, tell me, tell me, what else happened besides your romance with Nino?” 

“It wasn’t a romance! We just danced together…” 

“How many times?” demanded Marinette gleefully. 

Alya shook her head. “It doesn’t matter! But let me tell you about Lady Chloe – you’ll be happy to hear this.” Alya snickered wickedly. “Prince Adrien barely spoke with her! He just greeted her politely and danced with her, but he looked kind of…uncomfortable…the whole time.” 

Marinette shrank into herself, thinking guiltily of her evening. “Still more than me, though. I guess you were right – Chloe won.” The girls exchanged somber glances before Alya grasped Marinette’s hand. 

“No way, girl! Chloe won’t ruin your dress a second time; we’ll hide it, and when you wear it, Chloe won’t stand a chance! The Prince will be so charmed–” 

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut. “No.” 

Alya dropped her hand in shock. “What?” 

Marinette hesitated, picturing her green-eyed Kitty in her mind, his pained eyes when she told him to find someone else, the crack in his voice when he told her that he had already found his Lady, her promise to him, their dance, his devotion to her safety, their partnership—she wished she didn’t have to lie to Alya, but she knew what she had to do. ”I—I can’t go.” 

Alya shook her head adamantly. “No. No, Marinette, you have to. I don’t care what else Chloe has planned; you’ll regret it, and it’s a big, fun party filled with great people. I won’t be taking no for an answer, ‘Nette.” 

Marinette tried not to shudder, thinking of Wayem. “Not always. Some people are creeps, I bet.” Then her gaze fell on Tikki, who winked. Her gaze cleared and her forehead smoothed as she thought up a plan. “But I always solve my problems. Okay, I’ll go, Alya! But I’m leaving as soon as I meet the Prince, okay?” 

Alya grinned. “Whatever it takes to get you there.” 

But little did Alya realize that Marinette planned to attend the full time. As Alya gabbed about Nino and Chloe and some “rogue knight” named Chat Noir (Marinette had to hide her blush), Marinette formulated her plan to attend, as both herself and Ladybug. 

\----- 

“Nino! Nino, you won’t believe—” 

“What she said?” Nino rolled his eyes. “You’ve been talking about Ladybug nonstop for hours. I know, I know, she promised --” 

“--to see me one more time!” Adrien finished, happily fiddling with his black cat mask, laying on his back in his room next to Nino, both still dressed in their costumes. Nino’s green turtle-themed outfit complemented Adrien’s black leather cat costume perfectly, making the duo look like a matched set. Although the ball had ended four hours ago, neither had been able to sleep, instead talking late into the night about their respective lady loves. 

Nino sat up. “You know, her description doesn’t really match any of the nobles we’ve met before. You sure she’s a noble?” 

Adrien’s eyes shone. “I think so, she looked so gorgeous and her gown looked professionally-made. And her nickname was Ladybug.” He paused. “But to be honest…it wouldn’t matter. She’s my soulmate, I’m sure of it.” He pressed the mask to his chest. “I’ve never felt this way before.” 

Nino gave him a half-smile. “I know what you mean, dude.” He fell back onto the bed with a happy sigh. “Alya – she might not be a noble, but we had a connection, that’s for sure, and I will stop at nothing to make sure she’s happy.” The boys exchanged sheepish, lovesick grins before looking back up at the ceiling again. “She said she’s going to be at the next party, too. We’ll meet her friend, Marinette, then, remember? Though I don’t know how you’re going to keep your promise as Chat Noir to introduce her to Adrien…” Nino trailed off, snickering. 

Adrien scowled, reminded of what Chloe had done to Marinette at the mention of her name, and his mood was ruined. “I can’t believe that Chloe would do something so horrible like that to someone else. Poor Marinette! I have to make it up to her.” 

Nino’s eyes widened. “But wait – I think we’ve met her before. Both of them. We visited their village once, remember?” 

Adrien sat up. “That’s right! And Marinette, she’s the baker’s daughter. The one who thought that I had pranked her with Chloe, even though I was actually trying to clean up the mess that Chloe had made.” 

Nino grinned. “And I told you that if you wanted to make friends, you should ask for forgiveness, explain yourself, and offer to be her friend.” 

Adrien frowned uncertainly. “I hope I did it right. I’d never really done it before, you know. Do…Do you think she still hates me?” 

Nino shook his head, smirking. “Knowing you, you overdid it, and the girl fell desperately in love with you. And I mean, what did Alya say? That she’s an admirer of yours, or something?” 

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what she thinks of me when I meet her.” Adrien fell back on the bed, arms spread-eagle, as he let his thoughts wander back to the only subject that had ever obsessed him so much – Ladybug. 

And then he froze. And smiled, slowly. 

“You know, Nino…” he paused. “We don’t have to wait until the ball to see them.” 

Nino’s eyes widened again, surprised at his friend’s rebellious grin. “You willing to sneak out?” 

“Tomorrow night. Join me? You’ll get to see Alya!” Adrien held out a hand. 

Nino grinned, lowered his green turtle-themed hat, straightened his green velvet vest, and took Adrien’s hand. “I’ve always got your back.” 

\------

Alya hopped onto the bakery’s counter. Her voluminous red-tinged hair strained to spill out from behind her headscarf as she flipped it over her shoulder, and her golden hoops caught the light as they swung from her ears. “So what ideas do you have for your new dress?”

The girls were in the back room, making cookies in the kitchen and spraying the counter with flour as they playfully bantered and worked. Alya often helped out at her friend’s bakery on the weekends, and Marinette was glad for her company this rapidly-darkening evening. 

“I’m not sure! Something pink, definitely. Maybe with Mandarin characters on it – something to show both sides of my life: my mother’s heritage and my father’s background.” 

Alya smiled. “That sounds like it’ll be beautiful.” 

Marinette pressed a cookie cutter into the dough, flawlessly peeling away a star-shaped cookie. “Do you want a new dress? You deserve a new one to impress your Lord Nino.” 

Alya mock-frowned and crossed her arms. “He’s not MINE, Mari!” She shoved her unsuspecting friend, who had thrown her head back to laugh. Marinette quickly enacted her revenge by tickling her friend’s sides, and soon, both girls were engaged in a vicious tickle fight, laughing uncontrollably as they tried to gain the upper hand over each other. Marinette's bakery-derived strength faced down against Alya's tickle-fight experience with her sisters, evenly matching the pair as they tackled each other and spilled cookie ingredients everywhere. Marinette, sides aching, prepared to call a halt and accept defeat when suddenly, amid their shrieks, came a loud thump, followed by an angry hiss that sounded like it had come from behind the sacks of flour by the back door. 

Marinette and Alya froze and exchanged horrified glances. 

“Uh, what was THAT?” Alya whispered to Marinette, as both girls backed away from the source of the noise. 

Marinette grabbed a broomstick, leveling it at the corner. “I have no idea.” She paused, then leaned closer to Alya to whisper to her. “But let’s investigate.” She gestured to the corner, and both girls began to creep toward it. Marinette swore she saw a bag shift, and she clutched the broomstick tighter in response, hands aching. 

Alya raised her eyebrows at Marinette and mimed whacking the bags with the broomstick, and the other girl nodded in fierce agreement, ready to attack. She would protect her friend and her bakery from these thieves (who must have been pretty bad at their jobs). The constable would be taking care of them shortly. 

With bated breaths, the girls closed in on the flour bags, and Marinette counted down in her head. _One, two, three!_ She raised her broomstick over her head and dashed it down on top of the flour bags. 

“Ow!” yelled a deep voice. 

“Me-ouch!” yelped another. 

Suddenly, out tumbled a green-clad noble and a black-cat knight, both of whom were simultaneously regretting their decisions to sneak up and spy on the girls. 

At their appearance, Alya shrieked and snatched the broomstick from a shocked Marinette, whacking the pair until they sprang away from the flour bags before Marinette could stop her. “What the heck? Who are you and what are you doing—” 

She froze in realization. “Lord Nino?” Alya whispered, as a blush spread across her cheeks. 

Nino cringed. “You have great self-preservation skills, Alya.” 

Embarrassed, Alya stood open-mouthed and silent, rooted to her spot. 

Marinette’s breath whooshed from her lungs as she let her gaze linger on the other member of the dressed-up duo. “Chat--?” 

Alya frowned, nodding. “Chat Noir.” Then her eyes widened, and she turned to Marinette. “But how did you kn—” 

Marinette’s fingers tightened around the broom. “Uh, well, I mean…he’s dressed as a cat!” She flailed her arms toward the knight. “So of course, I, I mean, who else could he, you know, be?” 

Shaking her head at her friend’s spazzing hands and stammered explanations, Alya laughed. “Girl, you are something else.” 

Marinette frowned and turned back to the boys, her blue gaze piercing. “But what on earth are you two doing sneaking into my bakery? A Lord and a…knight?” she pretended to guess, making a show of taking in his appearance. “Two high-ranked individuals, sneaking up on two unsuspecting girls – what kind of gentlemen are you?” she scolded. 

Alya crossed her arms, somewhat playfully, as she stared down Nino. “She’s right! Explain yourselves.” The two girls towered threateningly over the boys crouched on the floor, and the boys gulped nervously, straightening themselves into standing positions before bowing simultaneously. 

Lord Nino spoke first, taking Alya’s hand and kissing it while looking up at her through his lashes. “Lady Alya, it’s lovely to, uh, to see you again. This is my loyal knight, Chat Noir, whom I believe you met at the ball?” 

Chat Noir righted himself and winked at Alya. “Always a pleasure to see you, Lady Alya.” He turned towards Marinette. “And who might you be, beautiful Princess?” 

Marinette rolled her eyes. _He truly was a flirt._ Remembering her manners, however, she extended a hand to Chat Noir for a handshake. “I’m Marinette, the daughter of the owners of this bakery. I’m no Princess, but our bakery _is_ the finest in the village,” she added proudly. 

Chat Noir smoothly bowed over her hand, taking it and pressing the back of it to his lips. He held the kiss for a fraction of a second too long, and Marinette gazed down at him in surprise. She hadn’t felt his kisses directly on her bare skin before, and the feeling of his soft lips on her hand without gloves in the way felt almost too…intimate. 

“I don’t doubt it,” he began with a wink, looking like he was on the verge of falling over in his bow. Marinette hid a giggle at his over-the-top actions. “But I believe that you _are_ a Princess, and it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mademoiselle,” he continued softly. Their gazes locked, deep green on sky blue, and she felt a pull toward the clumsy cat once more. After a short moment of hesitation, however, she slipped her hand artfully away from his grasp and clasped her hands behind her back to recover. 

“Uh, it’s nice to meet you too!” she replied quickly with a sweet smile. Then her face became serious again. “But what are you both doing here, in our village? Lord Nino, isn’t your castle a few _hours’_ ride away from here?“

Nino hesitated, staring at Alya even as he responded to Marinette’s question. Alya smiled back at him, and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I—I just…wanted to see you, Alya. You, I dream—we—” He paused, his next words barely audible. “I couldn’t stay away.” 

Marinette’s eyes gleamed and she smiled, raising her eyebrows at a shocked Alya. “Couldn’t stay away, huh?” She immediately grabbed the wrists of both lovebirds and yanked them outside. The two, caught off guard by her strength and directness, were too shocked to even voice a protest as they were dragged into the lengthening shadows of the evening and toward a path surrounded by greenery. 

Gesturing to the path, which cut through a lovely garden and a vineyard before leading into the countryside, Marinette slyly encouraged them onwards. “I’ve heard this path is quite a gorgeous walk—maybe you’d like to take a stroll together? Okay, great, havefunbye!” 

Alya and Nino immediately began to protest, but Marinette had already shoved them halfway into the garden and dashed back to the bakery. Closing the door behind her and peeking through the window, she smirked as she watched while the two hesitantly looked at each other before holding hands. Yes! 

She, however, couldn’t celebrate for too long before the cat in the room decided to remind her of his presence. “Uh, Marinette?” Chat asked awkwardly. 

She shrieked, jumping nearly a foot into the air. “Chat Noir! You scared me.” 

He raised an eyebrow and spread his hands as if to show he meant no harm. “Must be the graceful cat in me.” Marinette snorted, but before she could look away, he smiled hesitantly, pointing a thumb back toward the door. “Those two really are meant for each other, huh?” 

Marinette ‘s face relaxed, and she smiled. “Yes, I think so, too.” She crossed her arms. “I only hope your Lord Nino is worthy of her.” 

Chat nodded emphatically. “Oh, yes, he’s an excellent friend, and he’s always wanted to find love. He really cares about her, trust me. We’ve known each other forever.” 

“How did you two meet?” Marinette asked, curious. 

Chat hesitated. “I—well—Nino’s trained in fencing. I was one of his…classmates, and we stayed friends for all the years afterwards. How did you become friends with Alya?” he redirected. 

Marinette’s eyes lit up. “She’s an amazing person,” she gushed. “We met in school together, but we stayed close even when we began our apprenticeships at our parents’ businesses. Despite everything, despite…some mean girls in our village, she’s always, always believed in me. I care about her a lot—she means the world to me.” She pointed a scolding finger at Chat Noir. “So your friend better be good to mine, no matter her status in society compared to his, or else you and I will be having some words.” 

Chat looked mildly frightened. “Don’t worry. Nino isn’t like that.” He smiled, looking fondly in the direction where the two had gone. “You can trust him. And me.” 

Marinette raised her eyebrows. “And _you_? What makes you so sure?” she teased. 

Chat placed a hand on his chest in mock-horror. “What, you don’t trust me? A fine knight?” 

“And a stray cat!” she retorted, flicking the bell on his costume. “We don’t feed strays here in this bakery.” 

Chat pouted. “Not even one teeny-tiny cookie?” 

Marinette ruffled his hair and automatically smoothed over his cat ears with a smirk. “I don’t spoil stray cats, or else they might make a habit of coming back.” 

“One cookie does not a spoiled cat maketh," Chat argued, holding up a finger as if in a courtroom. 

“I doubt that very much.” But even as Marinette dismissed Chat Noir’s pleading, she reached into a tin and grabbed two cookies for the knight. 

Chat’s eyes widened adorably. “Oh, a truly benevolent Princess you are! This cat thanks you kindly.” He proceeded to polish off the cookies with as much drama and pomp as he could while Marinette giggled. He watched her lips tilt and rejoiced in the fact that he had made her laugh. Not a Prince accidentally causing forced, fake laughter from suitors, but a simple knight with a flair for comedy. He alone had been enough. 

The warmth in his chest, he decided, did not come from the amazing cookies alone, but the laugh of the caring girl beside him. He wondered if she remembered when he had last visited, but he hesitated to ask and know the truth. What if her memories of the Prince were less than fond? 

Suddenly, Marinette paused in her laughter and eyed Chat up and down. The cat-boy tried to pose impressively, but between the mouth full of crumbs and the dusting of flour that he had received from his hiding place, he entertained rather than impressed. She smiled but looked concerned. 

“Like what you see?” he asked, spraying cookie crumbs across the tabletop as he spoke. 

Marinette squealed and threw a napkin at him. “You nasty cat! No, I was just wondering why you were still dressed in your costume from the ball? Afraid for me to see your face?” 

Chat shifted guiltily, opening and closing his mouth as he fumbled for an excuse before he frowned, looked down at himself, and then back up at her. “You recognize my costume? I didn’t think I saw you at the ball, Princess.” 

Marinette froze. “No, no, I didn’t attend, but, well, I meant…Nino just said that Alya met you at the ball, and you’re wearing a mask and cat ears, and, I mean, wasn’t the theme of the ball ‘Masquerade’?” 

“Uh, ah, well…wait a moment,” he stammered, struggling to find a way to change the subject. How could he explain that he was wearing a costume to hide his identity as the Crown Prince and to assess whether Marinette was still angry with him? He couldn’t, that’s how! “Why _weren’t_ you at the ball? You knew the theme and I know that Alya attended – where were you?” 

Marinette’s eyes dropped down to her toes. He didn’t recognize her. Tikki had been correct – the magic was powerful. “Just an unfortunate accident that happened, that’s all,” she answered quickly, not wanting to speak about Lady Chloe in-depth and explain everything to a near-stranger. 

_But Chat wasn’t a stranger_ , she reminded herself. Maybe that was why she felt so oddly at ease around him now. 

Chat’s eyes narrowed. “Something to do with the mean girls you mentioned earlier?” 

Marinette looked up, surprised at his intuition, and she clenched her fists in response. “Something like that…how well do you know Lady Chloe?” 

Chat shook his head, but his eyes were still narrowed. “Not well at all…why, what did she do?” he asked darkly. 

“She…she threatened to destroy my gown if I dared to speak with the Prince or try to usurp her in any way or even attend, basically, and I refused. She can’t control who he speaks to and who attends! But, she…she followed through on her threats. She broke into my house, searched my room, and ripped apart my gown.” She bit her lip, trying not the think of her destroyed gown, the destruction of weeks of worth and years of dreams. Maybe she was destined never to speak to the Prince. 

Chat interrupted her reverie. “She WHAT?” he exclaimed in shock. Alya’s quick explanation hadn’t done the truth justice. “Why would she threaten you like that? How could she do such a thing?” 

Marinette sighed. “She and I have never really seen eye to eye. She can be rude to everyone around her, and she’s…well, she’s the worst, if you want to know the truth!” Warming to her theme, Marinette continued her rant. “She bullies everyone around her and won’t listen when they tell her to stop. She is possessive and classist and all-around not a very kind person, and it frustrates me to see her treat my friends and family so badly! How dare she try to hurt them! But she goes after me whenever I try to defend them,” Marinette finished regretfully. 

Surprised by her vehemence and her care for her friends, Chat took a step back. “Chloe is _this_ awful?” 

“Are you surprised? She’s a noble who knows what her title is worth. Why would she ever cave to anyone else’s demands?” 

“She shouldn’t act like that,” Chat said angrily. Marinette said nothing, only shaking her head lightly, and he curled his fingers into claws and softened his voice. “But…you don’t seem like someone who would bow that easily to her. Why did you not buy or find another dress and go to the ball? It would show her, surely!” 

“You don’t understand,” began Marinette sorrowfully. “I made that dress with my own hands, Chat. It took me weeks. And I’ve…I’ve been dreaming…oh, it doesn’t matter. But I just wanted so badly to go, and I designed the dress to be perfect, and then, everything was ruined. Even if I went, she’d make my life a nightmare, trust me. I just couldn’t deal with all of that, all my hard work down the drain and her trying to rub it in my face at the ball. I’ll be at the next one though, don’t worry.” She placed a hand over his, and he jumped in surprise before smiling and intertwining their fingers. “She’ll see that she can’t hold me back for long.”

Chat shook his head hopelessly. “I’m so sorry.” 

“Why? It’s not your fault, Chat.” 

Chat shifted his gaze away guiltily. _It is my fault, a little,_ he thought. _But does it matter? Can Lady Chloe ever truly change?_ “I always thought…I mean, the Prince is friends with her, and he’s never spoken of her like this before. Only as selfish, but never as harmful! I didn’t realize how toxic she truly is to others.” 

“You…you know the Prince?” Marinette’s voice wavered, and her eyes shone. 

“I, er, yes. Only a little though!” He held up his hands as if he’d been caught. “We studied fencing together too. Since he and Lord Nino are friends, I’ve spent time with him too. What do you—”

“What’s he like?” Marinette interrupted, breathless. “To you? Is he kind?”

Chat hesitated, unsure how to respond. “I’d like to think so.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Why do you care about the Prince so much, hmm, Princess?” he retorted, leaning in and smirking. “Aren’t I enough for you?” 

Marinette pushed his nose back with her finger and rolled her eyes. “I much prefer Princes to alley cats.” 

Chat rubbed his nose and frowned. _Why did that feel so familiar?_ “Why? Has he ever done anything for you? At least I provide some humor!” 

She laughed. “Because you’re so silly and ridiculous! The Prince is kinder, more dignified, and sweeter. And yes, he has done something for me.” 

Adrien almost snorted. _“More dignified,” his ass._ “Kinder? How do you mean?” 

Marinette smiled. “He gave me his royal carriage once.” 

Chat’s eyes almost popped out of his sockets. “You remem—I mean, he what?” 

“I know right!” She choked back a laugh, placing her chin on her palm as she gazed dreamily through the window. “A random baker’s daughter, and he gave her his carriage all because she was walking.” She smiled. “It was snowing that day. I was delivering something, and I was miserable and angry. I thought that he…that he had helped Chloe play a prank on me, because they were high-rank courtiers together, but he…he went out of his way to find me and apologize instead. He didn’t help her, he told me.” 

Chat Noir was stunned, his green eyes wide and glowing with the remnants of the sunlight. 

“He was actually trying to stop her. Even when he could have helped her, he refused. That’s how kind and sweet and wonderful he is. But when he got out of the carriage and let himself get snowed on to help me and the deliveries in, that’s when I truly knew that he was good and…that I—I…” she trailed off and suddenly looked up, her gaze catching Chat’s. 

He was staring at her intensely, with something akin to astonishment or adoration on his face, and she found that she couldn’t look away. His eyes seemed loving and warm and captivating. Like the night of the ball, she felt drawn to him, and she wished that she wasn’t. It would make things so much easier if she wasn’t. _He’s just a flirt and an alley cat,_ she tried to remind herself. _He’s not really in love with me or Ladybug. And he’s certainly not Prince Adrien!_ She forced herself to tear her eyes away from him. 

“So you care about m—I mean, _him,_ ” Chat finally said, his voice carrying across the bakery’s kitchen. “You care for him.” 

“Yes! He deserves someone who cares about him like that too! It doesn’t have to be me,” she murmured, folding in on herself. “But it does have to be someone who loves him for him.” 

Adrien continued to gaze at her, openmouthed. _Did Marinette—love him?_

Marinette looked up, meeting his admiring, shocked gaze again, and felt suddenly embarrassed of her outpouring of affection for the Prince. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to go on and on…but thank you for listening, Chat Noir.” 

He shook his head. “Thanks for telling me. I’m—I’m sure the Prince will love meeting you,” he said, so confidently that even Marinette hesitated to negate it. The duo lapsed into a friendly, albeit a bit awkward, silence. 

Suddenly, Marinette looked up and touched Chat’s hand. “But who do you care about a lot? Do you have a long laundry list?” 

Chat sighed. “Nope. I’m not actually that charming, outside of this suit.” 

“Coming from you? That actually surprises me.” 

He chuckled hesitantly. “There’s just—just one person.” 

Marinette smirked. “And who is it?” 

“You’re going to think I’m ridiculous.” 

Marinette shook her head. “What do you mean?” 

“I—I mean…I met someone. At the ball.” 

Marinette’s eyes widened. _Surely he didn’t mean Ladybug?_ “Who—who did you meet?” 

Chat’s eyes adopted a faraway look, and he gazed up at the ceiling with an adoring smile. “That’s the thing. I don’t even know her real name, but I know that not only do I care about her a lot, but that I’m—I’m in love with her. One night, that’s all it took, but she’s amazing. So confident and beautiful and smart and quick-witted. She’s someone who’d stay by your side.” 

“What’s—what’s her name?” 

At that, Chat looked back down and met Marinette’s eyes. “Ladybug.” 

Marinette froze. “You’re in love with _Ladybug_?" she asked, shocked. "For real?” she murmured under her breath. 

Chat looked away, suddenly bashful, and he didn’t reply. 

“Does—does she care about you too?” 

Chat’s eyes dropped to the table. “She says we’re friends, and her friendship means everything to me. But I hope she knows how I really feel about her, too. Someday.” 

Marinette felt that she hadn’t breathed since Chat had started speaking. “Maybe—m-m-maybe you should tell her directly?”

Chat picked up his hands aimlessly before dropping them back into his lap with a forlorn sigh. “I doubt it’ll ever happen. It’s like something you know you can only dream about, you know? But I can’t—I can’t get her out of my head!” He dropped his head onto the table, massaging his forehead with his fingers. 

Thinking of her Prince and feeling unimaginably guilty at the thought of hurting her Chaton so much, Marinette felt tears obscure her vision. “I do know. I know what you mean. I’m so sorry.” 

The two exchanged sympathetic glances and fell silent, staring into the shadows of the room as they thought about their respective beloveds. 

To cover up her guilt and embarrassment, however, Marinette decided to think of something to break the tension. “So silent and thoughtful, Chat Noir. Cat got your tongue?” she taunted with a smirk. 

He swallowed and managed to smile back. “As a cat, a cat’s always got my tongue, you see.” 

Marinette rolled her eyes, feeling a bit better. “You sure don’t act like it sometimes, with how you carry on and on with your jokes and your cat puns...” 

Her eyes widened with a start as she realized how close she was to revealing that she had met him before! She didn’t want Chat to find out like this – or at all. “I mean, from what _I_ can tell of you, of course!” she finished hastily. 

Chat laughed, seemingly oblivious to her concerns. “Glad I give off such a talkative, enthusiastic, punny vibe.” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully. 

She smiled as she got up to get the knight a drink. “So, if you’re a _true_ cat, do you want a glass of milk?” she baited. 

“Would be perfect with the cookies,” Chat parried back, refusing to take the bait. 

“And head scratches?” Marinette tried again. 

“I do love being petted and coddled, especially if it were by a beautiful Purr-incess such as yourself.” 

“And _dead mice_?” 

“Are these all purr-omises, or just nice suggestions for what you can do for me?” he teased, watching her face redden. She glared at Chat, who pouted back. 

But Marinette was ready for the next phase of her teasing. Slamming a bowl of milk on the countertop, she crossed her arms, as if testing his cat-like tendencies. Confused, Chat turned to her, and she smiled, inclining her head playfully. “Go on, Chat Noir, lap up your milk like a cat.” 

Chat only hesitated for a second before he smirked and leaned closer to her. “Didn’t know you wanted to see my tongue so much, Princess.” 

Flushed, Marinette shoved Chat away. “Didn’t know you wanted mice so much, Kitty.” 

Egged on by her challenge, he playfully tackled her with tickles, remembering her tickle fight with Alya. “I see a mouse for me right here!” he crowed, using his height advantage to overpower her. She shrieked as she fell to the ground and tried to push him away, but she quickly found she couldn’t. He had her pinned, one hand gripping her wrists above her head as his other poked at her sides, with his knees around her hips. Gasping from laughter, she tried to kick him off. “Haha, Chat, stop it! Move, you—big—big cat!” 

He laughed before helping her up. Still holding her hand, he gave her a mocking bow. “I suppose I must release you. After all, as your loyal knight, I will do anything my Princess desires.” 

Marinette yanked her hand away before she leaned forward with an evil look, and even Chat looked nervous. “Anything I desire?” 

He hesitated, locked in place by her captivating gaze. “W—Within reason…” he stammered. She took a step forward, and he found himself backed up against the counter, trapped in place. He tried to block out all the thoughts that were bombarding his mind. _Ladybug, you idiot, you love Ladybug!_ he tried to remind himself. _Marinette is kind and cares for you, but your heart is…it’s—it’s already taken!_

He stared at her, unable to move, until she slowly tapped the countertop behind him, where the bowl of milk still sat. Chat jumped nervously, and she threw her head back to laugh at the trepidation on his face. “Then ask for a mug. I’m not going to watch you spill the milk all over the countertop as you pretend to be a cat, silly Kitty.” 

He chuckled. “Will do, Marinette.” He watched as she whisked the bowl away and poured its contents into a mug. 

She broke the comfortable silence as she worked. “But Chat Noir, you still haven’t answered my original question.”

“And which question might that be?” 

“Why are you still wearing your costume?"

“Uh, uhm, um, ah, ach..achoo!” 

Marinette whirled around. “Oh no, Chat! How did you manage to fall into the flour bags…again?” 

Chat sneezed once more, completely covered in white flour from head to toe. “Uh…whoops?” 

Marinette sighed and grabbed a towel, tugging him outside with her. “I’ll dust you off, but we can’t afford to lose any more flour because of your antics!” she scolded, gently beginning to dust him off with the towel. 

When she reached his face, however, she found herself cupping his chin and softly running her fingers through his hair. She tried to shake herself out of it, attempting to continue her task without hesitation, and carefully avoided his gaze as she dusted off his hair, feeling a blush bloom on her face. However, looking down for a moment, she caught Chat smirking at her predicament and threw the towel in his face. “I’m only trying to help you, don’t look so smug!” 

He laughed, catching the towel with quick reflexes before dusting himself off with it. “And I appreciate the help, Marinette. You seem to care about this alley cat.” 

She smiled. “You know, if you don’t want to tell me why you’re wearing the costume, I won’t ask anymore. I just want to know –am I harboring a wanted criminal?” 

He laughed. _If only she knew!_ “Certainly not, Purr-incess, I purr-omise that no one wants this cat.” 

Marinette frowned, concerned, before she firmly placed her hand on his arm. “No, Chat, I mean it. Are you okay? Are you running from danger? It’s okay – I can help you, maybe for a short while?” 

Touched, his eyes threatened to overflow with tears. “No, no, I—I’m okay. I guess…I guess you could say I’m running, but it’s only for a little while. A quick escape. I’ll be back before they know I’m gone, but I’m not a criminal or imprisoned for any crimes, Marinette.” _Unless it’s the crime of being born._ “Truly. I won’t hurt you.” 

She smiled and hugged him, not noticing his shocked expression before he hugged her back fiercely. “I know, Kitty. But know that you do have someone who wants you. You have me.” She paused for a moment, allowing her hands to curl around his neck and her fingers to reach into his hair. “I’m your friend.” 

Nino and Alya thought they’d chosen the best moment possible to return from their walk-turned-makeout. Jaws dropped, they stared at the embracing pair in front of them. With a gleeful glance at each other, they knew they ought to leave and come back later, but they decided to backtrack and hide behind a tree to watch what would happen next instead. 

Unfortunately, as she moved, Alya stepped on a branch, alerting Chat and Marinette to their presence, and upon seeing Nino and Alya, the pair sprang apart with a yelp. 

“We were-uh, well, you see, I fell—” 

“It didn’t mean anything, well, we just—” 

“We’re just friends!” finished the pair together. Nino and Alya snorted before rejoining the two. 

“So I see,” Alya responded with a smirk at Marinette, who immediately reddened. 

After a moment, Nino stepped forward. “I’m afraid we have to depart,” he said regretfully, pressing a final kiss to Alya’s hand as she looked on with a wistful smile. 

Chat sighed. “But maybe we can return?” he asked Nino hopefully. 

Nino nodded, determined. “Let’s try to make that happen.” 

Alya looked relieved, and Marinette smirked at her friend, ready to tease her. 

But before she could start, Chat took her hand in his own and pulled her close. They stood nose to nose for a moment, only millimeters away from each other. Marinette could feel his warm breath on her lips, and she stood frozen, their gazes intermingling for longer than was polite. She shifted her eyes away from Chat as he slowly lifted her hand and bestowed a kiss upon it, his eyes intense and burning into her. 

“I hope to see you soon, Princess,” he murmured into her fingers. “Thank you…for everything.” 

Marinette smiled at him, slightly breathless. “Of—Of course, Chat Noir.” 

He smiled sweetly back. “I hope you meet your Prince.” 

Nino and Adrien left the girls starstruck behind them as they made their way back to their horses, both boys filled with joy for surprisingly similar reasons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this was good! Feel like I was in a weird mindset when I wrote this, but I just wanted some Marichat and would do anything to make it happen.


	4. Umbrellas and Accidents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the night of the second ball, and Marinette gets to officially meet Prince Adrien himself. But why does it feel like they've already known each other for a while?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! This was a monster of a chapter. The final scene is one inspired by Gilmore Girls, and I reference a few other lines from another show in the dialogue. (Can you find the lines?) ;)

##  Umbrellas and Accidents 

“Marinette? Where is your eye shadow palette?” 

“My wha?” 

“Girl, how are you so clueless about make-up?” Alya rifled through her bag and produced the eye shadow she had been looking for. “Good thing I brought my own stash.” 

The entirety of Marinette’s bedroom had been taken over by the girls’ “getting-ready” procedures. Her father had popped his head into the room, looked vaguely horrified, and tried to help with dress adjustments before being shooed away, looking more than a little relieved at the reprieve. 

However, after rounds of hair curling, make-up, and dress fixing, Alya and Marinette both felt rather fabulous. Marinette looked down at herself – the pink ball gown, stylish heels, and a little tiara on her head complemented her natural good looks perfectly. The Mandarin characters on the off-the-shoulder sleeves finished off her outfit and made her look and feel, admittedly, very cool and very calm. She looked to Alya – she had ended up designing and creating a new gown for her best friend, as a thank-you gift for dealing with her drama, and the deep green of the gown matched the color of the little green flecks in Alya’s eyes, making them pop. Paired with her fancy shoes and gorgeous make-up, Alya looked, on the whole, totally kickass – not a surprise to Marinette at all. 

The girls stared at each other in the mirror. “We look great, don’t we?” laughed Marinette. 

“I’m proud of you, Marinette. Standing up to Chloe can’t have been easy.” 

Marinette smiled grimly. “Lucky for us, she hasn’t been up to her usual tricks lately.” It was true; Lady Chloe hadn’t even been spotted around town, and the girls had had a chance to relax. 

“Maybe she’s too tired of carrying around her broomstick,” chuckled Alya. 

“Or maybe,” added Marinette darkly. “She’s got another plan up her sleeve.” 

“Wouldn’t be surprised – those sleeves on her gown really were puffy.” 

“Alya!” reprimanded Marinette mockingly, before she leaned closer. “Were they really that puffy?” 

“Oh, yeah,” replied Alya with a grin, and the girls laughed. 

“Oh, no!” yelped Marinette suddenly. “We forgot – the masks!” 

“Oh, gosh, girl, you’re right. Here, I picked these up for us yesterday from Master Fu’s mask-making shop.” Alya handed Marinette a pink mask, edged with white lace and covered in white polka-dots. With a gleeful squeal, Marinette thanked Alya profusely and began to work to attach the mask to her face, with Alya’s bemused help. 

“He’s a quirky guy, isn’t he?” mused Marinette as she worked, thinking of her past encounters with the elderly man. 

“You mean Master Fu or Prince Adrien?” Alya mumbled through a mouthful of hair pins. 

“Master Fu, of course! Prince Adrien is perfect!” moaned Marinette. “Why, what do you think is wrong with him?” 

“Two things,” said Alya, holding up two fingers on one hand as she picked up her own mask, a gorgeous deep green with turtle shell etchings across the top, with the other. Ignoring Marinette’s smirk at the mask, which Alya had admitted, even as she picked the green color of her gown, was meant to be a homage to Nino’s costume, Alya continued her thought process. “First, I know you weren’t there, but he was only at the actual ball for, like, five seconds. Secondly, he picked the second theme for the ball to be Masquerade, again.” She fumbled with the mask and the pins, trying to put on her mask properly. 

“What’s so weird about that?” Marinette asked, whisking the mask out of Alya’s hands and waving at her to sit down so that Marinette could help her attach her mask instead. 

“You want to know what I think?” Alya whispered, moving closer to Marinette as she arranged the pins she would need on her desk. 

“What?” Marinette whispered back. 

“I think that that means Prince Adrien…is in disguise.” 

“Huh?” 

“Here’s my theory: He didn’t want to play pretty little Princeling anymore, and part-way through the ball, he became someone else for the night. Which is why he needs the costume and the mask!” 

“But why would he do something like that?” 

“Nino mentioned to me the other day on our walk that he can feel kind of pressured and stuck under his father’s thumb sometimes, and that his father’s a real wreck. Super cruel to him, and Nino’s been one of his only friends ‘cause his father won’t let him go out. So, I bet that Adrien saw these balls as a chance for some freedom, or something. Is my mask finished?” 

“Almost,” promised Marinette, her turn to have a mouth filled with pins. “So who do you think he was, at the first ball? And what makes you think he came back, anyway?” 

“Nino said he likes to get to know people, and you know something? Remember the secret love of your life, Chat Noir?” 

“Stop teasing me about Chat!” 

“Fine, fine! But Chat was acting kind of weird when I was talking to him about Adrien the first time. Like all awkward and spazzy. Like you, when you’re lying.” 

“Hey!” 

“What can I say? You and Chat are made for each other!” 

“But…so…wait…do you keep saying that because you don’t think I have a chance with Prince Adrien?” Marinette asked, biting her lip anxiously and clasping her hands together tightly. 

Alya turned back to her best friend, eyes sparkling dangerously. “Of course, you do! NO DOUBT. But girl, all I’m saying is, look at what’s staring you in the face. Chat’s hot and a knight and more importantly, has got a thing for you. You never let me talk about that hug, and I KNOW you say you two are just best friends, but…” 

“No, Alya. We’re just friends; that’s final…But, keep telling me about Adrien. What do you think he has to do with Chat?” 

Alya sighed. “I think Chat knows who Adrien is masquerading as.” 

Marinette brought her hands to her mouth in shock. “You really think so?” 

“Yes, I really do. All you need to do is get him to talk. He’ll tell you anything, I bet.” 

“But…that feels kind of…manipulative,” Marinette murmured, fidgeting nervously with her dress’s full skirt. “If Adrien’s hiding, it’s probably because he wants to stay hidden.” 

“I mean, don’t make him tell you if he doesn’t want to, or if it’s pretty clear Adrien really wants to keep it a secret. But this could help you get a leg up, girl!” She grasped Marinette’s wrist and pulled her closer. “Just promise me you’ll give it a fair shake? Think of it as part of your ‘get Adrien to fall in love with you training’, okay?” she asked, referencing their weeks of “training” with Alya at the helm, making Marinette practice speaking without a stutter and nerves, as Alya pretended to be Adrien. 

“Okay, fine, but for the record…your fake Adrien was awful! He’d never say half that stuff!” Marinette protested. “Your training won’t help me at all!” 

Alya winked. “Just as long as you thank me later.” Still holding onto Marinette, she tugged her toward the stairs. “Time to go! Let’s go wow some royalty!” 

Marinette laughed, making sure to grab onto her purse before Alya yanked her out of the room. “Let’s go!” 

\------

Prince Adrien fidgeted nervously at the front of the ballroom, where he would greet the guests as they entered. He sighed as he felt the cold gaze of his father boring into his back and wished, not for the first time, that he could just attend as Chat Noir only. No Prince Adrien. What was the point? No one ever acted natural or real around him, anyway. He thought of Ladybug, then Marinette, before quickly shaking his head to shove away their images. Focus, Agreste. His father had already given him a stern warning once he realized that Adrien had slipped out of the ball early, and although he wasn’t sure if his father knew about Chat Noir, he didn’t want to find out or test him. This freedom was his savior. He had to protect it. 

He slipped a sideways glance to Nino, who was stationed nearby close to his family. They were all chatting merrily, but as soon as Nino felt his friend’s gaze, he aimed a thumbs-up and a smile in his direction. “You got this,” he whispered, then gestured to his pocket watch. “Only an hour or so, then you can be…you know!” 

Adrien smiled, feeling the words on his lips, waiting to be said. But he resisted the urge to speak and instead thought them, letting them ring in his mind. 

Chat Noir. I can be Chat Noir in an hour. 

\------ 

Marinette stood before the palace gates once more, feeling a ball of dread and nerves tighten in the pit of her stomach. She pressed her hands together, fiddling nervously with her lucky bracelet. “Alya, I feel sick.” 

Alya, who had been trying to see over the tops of heads and guess how close to the front of the welcoming line they were, now whirled around. “What? What’s going through your head?” 

Marinette took a deep breath before launching into her rant. “What if Chloe ruins everything? What if Adrien hates me? What if I throw up all over him? What if—” she bit off her words before she could finish them. What if Chat Noir hated her once she rejected him as Ladybug? 

Alya sighed and rolled her eyes, taking Marinette’s wrist and pulling her hands apart. “Relax, girl. As long as you relax, nothing bad will happen! And besides, maybe Chloe’s calmed down or something!” 

“Yeah, because she’s already won! I bet Adrien’s already seen her in her gown and fallen in love with her and they’ll get married and have a hamster and I’ll be all alone for the rest of my life with a pet rat instead!” Marinette wailed. “And its name will be…Loneliness!” 

Alya chuckled before grabbing her best friend by the shoulders and shaking her. “Girl, pull yourself together! That’s not going to happen. I won’t let it,” added Alya mutinously. 

Marinette bit her lips, her cheeks flushed, before her eyes narrowed. “Maybe we should sabotage her! Let’s kidnap—” 

Alya held out a hand. “I’m gonna stop you right there.” 

Marinette sighed. “You’re right. I’m going to stay the better person. I can do it!” She took Alya’s hand. “We’re gonna do it!” 

Alya grinned back and squeezed Marinette’s hand. “That’s the spirit!” 

The doorman, who had been listening to the girls’ chatter with a barely concealed smile on his face, now moved toward them. “Pardon, but how shall I introduce you the two of you?” 

Marinette, however, didn’t hear him and instead leaned forward to try to see where the royal family was waiting. “Is—the Prince—inside—where?” she stammered, blinking nervously. Her tongue felt like a deadweight in the dry desert of her mouth, and she tried to swallow. How did her breath smell? Could anyone tell that she was blushing to high heaven? Was there something in her eyelashes? Yes, there was definitely—

“Girl? Marinette? Earth to Mari!” Alya waved her hand in front of her friend’s face before snapping her fingers decisively. Marinette jumped at the noise and turned to face Alya. 

“Uh, ah, I—wait what? Oh, no, I—did I just--?” 

Alya laughed. “It’s okay, the doorman thought you were hilarious. I told him our names – we’re next!” 

“Next?” shrieked Marinette. 

Alya pumped a fist. “Ready to see our boys?” 

“No!” 

“Introducing…Miss Alya Cesaire and Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng!” 

The girls walked down the stairs in awe, Marinette nearly missing a step in shock. 

The room had been completely transformed. 

Where there had been a simple dance floor and adorable side rooms filled with mahogany furniture, now there was a gold-plated dance floor and marble end tables. Bookcases had been replaced with statues of silver, and in the center stood an elegant water fountain, with red-eyed wolves spitting out water into a pool edged with snow-white marble. The only thing that had remained from the previous set-up was the enormous diamond chandelier, which squatted on the ceiling in the center of the room like an inverted glass-iced cake. 

“Guess the King wanted to go all out,” murmured Alya. “It must only be getting more and more elaborate as we go. Imagine what the final night will look like!” 

Marinette, for her part, was too tongue-tied to speak. Although she hadn’t suffered from stage fright noticeably before, her nerves had been completely shot thinking about actually meeting Prince Adrien, and now the sight of the unfamiliar crowd, even more decked out than before in increasingly delicate and intricate costumes, had struck her speechless. 

No. She was Marinette, and she was Ladybug. She could do this. She could face this crowd. Today, it was better than the first time – she had Alya by her side. She squared her shoulders and firmly took the final steps in confident silence. Alya winked at her, and she smiled back. 

“You look beautiful in this light, Alya. I’m so glad I made you a new gown – now you’ll match all those rich nobles with a new outfit of your own!” she whispered in glee. 

Alya locked pinkies quickly with Marinette in gratitude for her friend’s selfless artistry and her pride at Marinette’s new wave of confidence. She hoped it would last, at least until they ran into the Prince. 

The Prince. 

Marinette locked eyes with Adrien, openmouthed and staring at him. He smiled hesitantly at her, and Marinette, trying to smile back, tripped on the final stairs and stumbled headlong, straight into his arms. 

The crowd tittered, but Alya gave them stern glares and came to stand by Marinette’s side. 

Marinette, tongue-tied, could only look mutely up at Adrien, as he held her in his arms, and Alya guessed that she’d have to step up and give the introductions. “Prince Adrien,” she began, curtsying, “this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and I’m Alya Cesaire – I don’t think you met Marinette at the last ball?” 

He smiled at Alya, then down at Marinette, as he helped her right herself. He bent into a bow almost immediately, taking Marinette’s hand and kissing the back of it. 

Looking up at her and winking subtly, he whispered, “No, I don’t think I had the pleasure last time. I look forward to getting to know you!” he added, eager. 

Furiously blushing, Marinette could only stare down in awe before she remembered her manners. “Oh—oh, I, uhm, I’m Marinette! It—it’s so meet to lovely you, I mean, lovely to you meet, I MEAN, lovely to meet you, too!” she managed. Adrien let go of her hand and smiled up at her, and she quickly pulled away and sank into a nervous curtsy beside Alya. 

Suddenly, instead of Adrien bowing to her, she pictured Chat Noir’s very similar bow and compared how his lips and Adrien’s had felt the same against the back of her hand. Damn that silly kitty! How dare he distract her? Did all boys bow and kiss the same? She wondered. 

She didn’t have time to further contemplate this idea, however, before King Gabriel approached her and gave her a cold nod. “Pleasure to meet you, Mademoiselle.” He looked up, past them, and Marinette, recognizing it as a sign of dismissal, glowered silently at his impolite behavior as she took Alya’s hand and walked away. 

Alya yanked her to the drinks table. “You need a cool-down,” she decided, and thrust a fizzy lemonade into her hands. Marinette nodded and swallowed it down in one gulp. Dropping her head onto the table, she wrapped her arms around herself and tried to manifest a black hole to take her home. How could a simple introduction have gone so badly? She tried not to think about her fall, which now felt like it would play in her head in slow-motion from now until eternity. 

“Alya…” she murmured weakly. 

“I think he really liked you,” Alya pointed out. 

“What?” replied Marinette in astonishment. 

“I don’t think he kissed Chloe’s hand!” she encouraged. 

“I fell!” she cried, burying her head deeper into her arms. 

“Aaaand you recovered!” Alya placed a hand on her friend’s head and stroked her hair. “Don’t worry, girl, you’ll have plenty more time to meet the Prince and get to know him.” 

“No I won’t!” Marinette wailed back. “He’s got to talk to everyone and dance with everyone, so he’ll have no time to talk to me, and he’ll dance with Chloe and other girls and fall in love with them and then he’ll hate me and then I’ll never ever get to see a hamster ever again.” 

Alya raised an eyebrow and sighed. “Girl, don’t you think you’re taking it a little too far?” 

“Maybe,” mumbled Marinette into the table. 

Suddenly, Alya began to nudge her. “Marinette!” she hissed. 

“Noooo, let me wallow.” 

“First off, there’s no reason to. Second off, you’re definitely gonna want to get up and see this!” 

“What on earth could I possibly want to see?” Marinette whined, lifting her head off the table slightly and waving her arms wildly. 

Suddenly, a cool hand brushed one of hers. “May I have this dance?” murmured a voice into her ear. 

Marinette let her eyes trail up from the tips of the white spotless gloves to the dark brown coat to the green eyes of the Prince. “Uh, um, gah,” she managed. 

He shot her a dazzling albeit shy smile. “Is that a yes?” 

She smiled and let her hand slip more fully into his, closing her grip. “Y-yes.” 

Adrien guided her to the center of the dance floor, the crowd parting for him as curious whispers surrounded the duo. Seeming not to notice, Adrien carefully placed his hand on her waist and took her other hand in his own, smiling at her all the while. 

Marinette gave him a hesitant smile back, blushing furiously again. 

Suddenly, the music started. Adrien began to lead her across the dance floor, and although she didn’t float, she didn’t fall. Proud of herself for managing not to step on his toes, she took a chance and pressed closer into his embrace. He adjusted easily, never breaking their gaze, and Marinette gasped, feeling like she was floating on air. 

Adrien leaned closer. “So, it’s nice to see you again.” 

Marinette’s eyes widened. “You—you remember me?” she asked in wonder. 

“How could I forget? I’m sorry I made you hate me.” His eyes flicked nervously away from hers. 

“Hate you?” Marinette repeated. 

“Yeah…you remember…the prank that Chloe pulled? I swear it wasn’t me, but I get how it might have looked—” 

“No, no, Ad-I mean, Your Highness, how could I possibly hate you? I know the truth! And you were so kind afterwards with the carriage, and the snow, and…” she trailed off, lost in his eyes. 

Adrien tilted his head closer. “And?” he prompted in a whisper. 

“Your eyes…” Marinette said, dreamy. 

“My eyes?” he replied, surprised. 

“Huh? I-I-uh—no! I meant to say…your eyes are green! Yes!” 

He chuckled a bit awkwardly. “Yeees, yes they are.” 

Marinette shook her head to clear it before looking guiltily back at him. “S-s-sorry I fell on you. Earlier.” 

Adrien shook his head, eyes flickering with mirth. “I’m not sorry. I got to catch you.” He winked. 

Marinette released his shoulder and dropped both hands around his neck, yanking him closer to her. “Me neither.” Suddenly, her eyes widened. What was she thinking? Why’d she do that? Why did her brain not work when Adrien was around her? 

To her shock, he smiled back at her and nuzzled closer, placing his head next to hers. She froze for a moment. Then, with a soft sigh, she tightened her arms and nestled her head against his chest, not caring what the world thought. What they saw. Only she remained. She and Adrien. 

“Adrikins!” 

And Lady Chloe, apparently. 

Marinette turned her head to try to find her in the crowd, but she couldn’t locate the girl. Her voice had been distant, anyway, and the dance soon carried them farther away. Marinette heaved a sigh of relief. Maybe they’d get through the whole night without Chloe drama! 

Adrien appeared not to have heard Chloe’s voice at all. “Your dress,” he murmured and touched the red hood that Marinette had cleverly attached to the back, in case she had to conceal her features while she transformed. “It’s beautiful.” 

Marinette smiled. “Thank you! I made it myself.” 

“I heard! You’re so talented.” 

Marinette’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “Where did you hear that?” 

Now it was Adrien’s turn to panic. “I-ah-uhhhhh…no, it’s nothing! I meant that I heard that you designed dresses when Alya…was talking. To Nino! Nino told me. Yes!” 

Marinette’s nose crinkled as she smiled. “Nino and Alya, huh?” 

Adrien leaned closer to her conspirationally. “I’m such a fan of those two. Nino’s obsessed with her.” Marinette squinted at him suspiciously and he realized how that had sounded. “No, no! Not in a creepy way. In an in-love, daydreamy sort of way. It’s adorable.” 

Marinette couldn’t help but laugh, completely distracted from Adrien’s proximity by thoughts of her best friend. “She’s the same way!” Marinette whispered, and the two shared a giggle as Adrien twirled her before tugging her close to him. Marinette hesitated. Why did his dancing feel so…familiar? “Well, I’m glad that knowledge of my skills have gotten to your ears, anyhow,” she added. “Your father designs clothing too, even though he’s King, right?” 

Adrien’s heart sank. Was she going to ask him for a referral? “Yes, he does.” 

Marinette appeared not to notice his saddened tone. “Then did he design your outfit? It looks very fancy.” And very, very, veryyyyy well-fitted. 

Adrien looked down at himself, seeming to have forgotten what he was wearing. “Oh! Yes, yes he did.” 

“You…seem like you forgot about that, Mr. Model,” she teased. 

“Ha! Well…most people mention my father to meet him to further their own careers. They usually talk to me only if they have some other goal in mind, if at all.” 

Marinette could imagine Alya’s voice in her head, screaming at her to ask about the disguise. To expose his secrets. 

But Adrien looked so sad and lonely. 

Marinette leaned back to look directly into Adrien’s eyes. “Well, you don’t have to count me on that list. I’m here for you and you only. Think of me as your number one fan, Your Highness.” 

He smiled. “Call me Adrien, please.” 

Marinette hesitated before she smiled back. “Then, think of me as your number one fan…Adrien.” 

The two blushed and shifted their gazes away from each other. 

Twirling her once more, Adrien took the opportunity to pull her even closer to him at the end of the turn. “You know,” he muttered. “Our outfits match.” 

“How so?” 

“You’ve got a red hood, and I’ve got a…brown coat. Like a wolf!” 

Marinette giggled again. “That seems like a stretch.” 

“Don’t I look strong and threatening?” 

“Not even a little. You don’t seem very wolfy to me.” 

Adrien smirked. “You’re not scared of me?” 

“How could I be? You-you’re a Prince!” 

Adrien let his cheek brush hers as he deliberately let his lips touch her ear and growled low. “But this Prince bites.” 

She blushed immediately but didn’t pull away. Gathering together all her courage, she pretended she was Ladybug and that he was Chat Noir. She wasn’t nervous around silly Chat! “Was that all you’ve got?” she whispered back. 

He grinned, a flash of teeth, before spinning her again. She gasped as she almost lost her footing before he caught her in his embrace, pressing her back against his. “Oh, I’ve got more,” he murmured into her ear again, arms tightening around her waist as his embrace became a little less polite. 

“Oh-oh r-r-really?” she stuttered, struggling to gather her wits and keep dancing. 

He laughed. “You’re stammering,” he teased, smug, and loosened his grip around her. “Guess I scared you too much then.” 

Marinette frowned, not about to let Adrien have the upper hand. “Not at all.” 

“So…I can’t be a scary wolf.” She felt his smile against her neck. 

“Nope,” she proclaimed triumphantly. 

“Then, who do you think I am?” 

Marinette smirked. “Remember Mary and her innocent little lambs?” she breathed into his ear. He bent his head, and her hand found his hair, her fingers raking through it automatically. 

“Innocent?” he echoed, his hands slipping lower around her hips. 

“As a little white lamb,” taunted Marinette. 

“I don’t think I like where that is going, Mari,” he admitted, spinning her around so that they faced each other again. 

She laughed, feeling genuinely relaxed in Adrien’s presence for the first time. Like…like he was Chat Noir. 

She shook her head to clear away her thoughts and dropped her hand back down to his shoulder. She only had a limited amount of time with him, and she had to be serious and honest about her feelings, not waste her time thinking of playful black cats. She took a deep breath and remembered Alya’s training. “But Adrien…I…just want to tell you…that—that you were so kind to me that day with the snow. You saw me all alone, and you helped me even when I thought you had tried to hurt me.” 

“Of course, I did, Marinette. You’re so kind and wonderful to your town—this was this least I could do.” 

Marinette looked down, blushing at the compliments. “No, no. What you did wasn’t an ordinary thing. I—thank you.” 

Adrien furrowed his brows but smiled, puzzled but pleasantly surprised. “You’re welcome, Marinette!” 

Marinette looked up, their noses nearly touching. “No, no. Not just that. I meant that you—you…that I—I lo—” 

“Whoops! Ha, ha, silly me!” shrieked a high-pitched voice. 

Adrien watched in horror as Chloe plowed into Marinette, shoving her effortlessly to the ground and spilling a brown-colored drink all over her handmade gown. “Oh, I’m sorry, Dupain-Cheng, didn’t see you there!” she crowed, before she threw herself into Adrien’s arms. The crowd gasped at Marinette’s brown-stained dress. Her shoes, previously hidden by her dress, now were visible, revealing their scuffs. One of the heels had a spot of flour marring the side. 

“Oh, Adrikins, it’s so good to see you!” Chloe continued, winding her arms around the Prince. 

Adrien angrily pulled away. “Get off, Chloe! You ruined Marinette’s dress! How could you?” 

But his words were drowned out by taunting, harsh laughter from the crowd as they mocked her humiliation. Marinette stumbled and rose to her feet, her face red as a tomato. She smoothed down the front of her dress before locking eyes with the horrified Adrien. 

Before Adrien could react, she let out a sob and dashed from the room, slamming through the doors to the garden and vanishing from sight. Alya began to move toward her from where she had been dancing with Nino, but Marinette was far too quick to stop. 

“Marinette! Wait!” Adrien called after her, ignoring the shocked and scandalized mutters of the kingdom. He quickly shoved Chloe away and shot her a disgusted glare in response to her pout. Looking down at the ground where Marinette had fallen, he picked up a beaded bracelet that she had left, absentmindedly placing it on his own wrist. “Marinette! You dropped this!” he shouted again, but she didn’t return. 

He took a deep breath and ran after her. 

\------

Marinette flew around a corner, ducking behind a row of rosebushes clustered at the edge of the garden. Covered in dirt and whatever Chloe had spilled on her, she knew she looked a mess. One of the heels on her shoes had snapped off when she had fallen, and she didn’t know how she’d get it back. These shoes had been her finest, but she knew that they were nothing. Picturing Chloe and Adrien’s immaculate appearances and comparing them with her ruined dress and scuffed shoes, she squinched her eyes tightly closed, trying to prevent her tears from leaking out. 

Tikki popped out of her purse. “Marinette? Are you all right?” 

Marinette shook her head and wiped at her eyes with her glove-clad forearms. “No, Tikki, I’m not all right. How could she? How could Chloe ruin me again? How did I not see this coming? And in front of Prince Adrien too! He looked horrified, Tikki. Horrified! Like he just realized who he’d been dancing with – some commoner!” 

Tikki shook her head furiously. “No, Marinette! He knows better. I assure you: You are wonderful and he knows that! He’s mad at Chloe, I promise. Chloe was the horrifying and mean one.” 

“I should have just gone with my kidnapping plan. No problems there!” 

“Absolutely NOT.” 

Marinette splayed her hands across her face. “Tikki, I can’t go in there again.” 

Tikki sighed. “Yes, you can, Marinette.” 

“No.” She snuck a peek at the kwami. “But Ladybug can, though.” 

“You should be brave enough to be yourself,” Tikki noted disapprovingly. “You don’t need the Ladybug costume. Adrien was flirting with you, you know, Marinette.” 

“And he never will again.” 

“Talk to Chat and Adrien as yourself. Trust me, you don’t need to wear a nice dress to be Ladybug. You are Ladybug, with or without the mask, remember?” 

Marinette shook her head. “Please, Tikki. Don’t make me go back in front of the whole kingdom in this ruined dress.” 

“It’s not your fault!” 

“It doesn’t matter. Tikki—” 

“Are you sure?” 

“—Spots on!” 

\------

Adrien slammed through the glass doors leading to the garden, then stopped short. Where had Marinette gone? He studied the myriad of crisscrossing paths and cursed the low light of dusk that prevented him from seeing traces of her run. She couldn’t have gone too far, right? 

He played with the beads on the bracelet as he worried. Was Marinette okay? “Marinette?” he called again. “Marinette, you don’t need to worry. Please come back. We can dance again and pick up where we left off. I promise. Everything will be all right. Chloe’s horrible, not you.” 

“L-looking for someone?” 

Adrien whirled around. “Marinette—Ladybug?” 

Ladybug stood in the center of the garden, wearing a different version of the Ladybug-themed dress she had worn before, her blue eyes glowing in the night. “Prince—Prince Adrien? How did you know me?” 

Adrien froze. She had never actually met the Prince before! “Uh, well, my—Miss Ladybug, I—I just had heard about you. From Chat—Chat Noir. My knight. He said he’d…introduce us.” Oh god, why had he paused before the word “introduce”? He sounded like a creep now. 

Ladybug seemed amused as she sashayed forward. “Well, then, allow me to…introduce myself. I’m Ladybug, Your Highness.” 

“Just Adrien, please,” he replied. 

Ladybug seemed surprised. “Do you let everyone call you by your first name?” 

He shook his head. “No. Just people I…I know I can trust.” 

Ladybug’s smile curved across her lips slowly. “Then you must trust easily.” 

“Why, are you untrustworthy?” 

“Not in the least! But who were you looking for, may I ask?” 

Adrien shook his head. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng. A mean friend of mine tried to hurt her, and I’m worried about her. She ran out here—did you see her? Wait…how did you even get here? I didn’t see you enter the palace!” 

“I..uh..I came in late. When you already were on the dance floor. You were there for quite a while.” Ladybug’s smile seemed knowing, even as her gaze wavered. She seemed guilty, somehow. Or sad. “Then, I just stepped out here for a bit of air. I didn’t see Marinette, though.” 

“Oh, no, I missed you! I wanted to greet you—I—I was just dancing with a friend. Marinette.” 

“Only your friend?” she tested. 

“I—she’s great. You’d love her,” evaded Adrien. Would Marinette even consider him a friend? All he’d ever done was bring ruin to her, attracting Chloe’s attention and never saving her from any of her attacks. 

“How would you know whom I’d like? We don’t know each other at all,” pointed out Ladybug. 

“Let’s change that, shall we?” asked Adrien. He walked over to her and lifted her hand, planting a kiss on her gloved knuckles. She blushed at his attentions, and he winked at her. 

“A regular Prince Charming, aren’t you?” she teased. 

“I do my best, Ladybug.” He began to lead her back to the ballroom, but Ladybug resisted. He looked over at her questioningly. “What’s wrong?” 

“Listen, Charming, I…kinda don’t want to go back in there.” 

Adrien smiled, a flash of mischief in his eyes. “I know somewhere else we can go.” 

\------

Ladybug bit her lip and looked at the ladder propped against the side of the castle wall. It had been cleverly hidden from view by a copse of trees, and Ladybug hadn’t been able to even see it until Adrien had pointed it out to her. “Isn’t this…illegal?” 

Adrien laughed. “I can break some rules. Perks of being a Prince.” 

Ladybug studied him closely. “Won’t you get in trouble with your father?” 

Adrien stilled. “Don’t worry about that, My—Miss Ladybug. Here,” he added, taking her hand. He helped her get onto the ladder and held the bottom steady. “It’s safe, trust me.” 

Ladybug smiled and began to climb the rungs, firmly placing her feet on the roof with a sigh of relief once she’d reached the top. She turned around, trying not to let vertigo take hold, and gave Adrien a thumbs-up. He nodded and began to climb up himself, quickly scaling the ladder. 

“How many times have you done this?” she asked, surprised at his agility. 

“My mother and I used to do this all the time. We’d climb onto the roof and—hmm…where’d they go?” Adrien began to rummage around in a chest that sat at a corner of the roof, close to the ladder. 

“Where’d what go?” 

“Ah! Here it is!” Adrien called, pulling out two umbrellas. He opened one and held it out to her with a smile, the umbrella shading his head. “Here you go.” 

Ladybug hesitated before she took the umbrella from his hands, feeling their fingers brush together. “What is this for? What are we doing?” 

Suddenly, the umbrella closed on top of her, making Adrien throw back his head in laughter. Ladybug flushed, her cheeks reddening under her mask, as she freed herself from the umbrella. 

“Guess you’re not so lucky, Ladybug.” 

“Maybe not with umbrellas. But you never answered my questions,” she teased. “What on Earth are we doing up here?” 

Adrien gave her the widest smile she had ever seen from him, making her blush again when their eyes met. “Haven’t you ever wanted to fly?” 

Ladybug held her umbrella up curiously. “These are magic?” 

Adrien shook his head and unfurled his own umbrella above his head. “They’re science. Open yours, and I’ll show you.” 

Ladybug yanked her umbrella open again, and she immediately felt the wind rise up underneath the huge covering. “The wind’s pulling at me!” she yelped. 

Adrien grinned. “Perfect.” He stepped to the edge of the roof. 

Ladybug narrowed her eyes. “Wait a minute…” 

Adrien smiled and held out a hand. “Do you trust me, Ladybug?” 

Marinette smiled and placed her hand into his. “With all my heart.” 

“Quick to trust, aren’t you?” 

“Why, are you untrustworthy?” 

Adrien tugged her closer to him, their fingers interlocked, and he pulled her hand to his lips, bestowing a soft kiss upon it. “I will never, ever harm you,” he promised. 

She smiled back. “Do you say that to all the girls to make them swoon?” 

He blushed and turned back to face the edge. “Only you, Ladybug. Ready? Jump on three.” 

She tightened her grip on his hand. “One.” 

“Two,” he answered with a smile, eyes alight. 

“Three!” they shouted together, and they leapt out into the oblivion. 

There was a moment when Marinette thought they would fall to their deaths. She screamed and tried to think of a name for her dream hamster before she died, until suddenly, she felt the umbrella buoying her up. Beside her, Adrien laughed, and soon she was laughing too. 

Marinette turned to Adrien. “We’re actually flying!” she announced with innocent joy. 

His eyes lit up and he chuckled, gaze never wavering from her face. “Yes, yes we are!” 

She looked out at the castle grounds, spread out before her like a green-and-gold maze, dotted with fountains and flowers. The final rays of sunlight caught in her hair and made her earrings shine, but she didn’t notice Adrien sneaking looks at her. Her wide eyes only had room to take in the beautiful sight before her. She felt her fingers thrum as she began to think up new design ideas for a final ballgown. “I could use a view like this every day,” she murmured to herself. “it’s so inspiring and beautiful.” 

“I know,” Adrien replied, looking at her before returning his gaze to the world spread out before them. “My mother would take me whenever I needed strength. Whenever life felt too much, too suffocating for me. This was…she was my breath of fresh air.” 

“Adrien…I’m so sorry,” Ladybug murmured, feeling inadequate. “I’m honored you showed me this, then.” 

Adrien smiled. “It just looked like you needed a breath of fresh air.” 

She smiled back as they slowly began to descend. All too soon, their feet touched the ground, and Marinette threw herself into Adrien’s arms, caught up in a rush of adrenaline. “That was terrifying, but totally AWESOME!” 

Adrien hugged her back. “I’m glad you liked it. Another round?” He nodded at the ladder. 

Marinette looked up at him, eyes sparkling. “I’ve got something else in mind.” 

“What is it?” 

Marinette took his face in her hands and swiftly kissed him. He sighed against her mouth and kissed her back, tugging her into his chest. She was quite a bit shorter than him, but she didn’t mind. She felt safe in his arms. She tilted her head so that they wouldn’t bump noses and let her hands wind through his hair. 

She heard voices calling for Adrien, and her eyes flew open in realization as she quickly pulled away. 

Adrien frowned in confusion. “What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?” 

Marinette shook her head, then pointed down the hill, back where the ballroom doors stood. “Not at all, but I think those guards by the doors are looking for you!” 

Adrien’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh, no! I was only at that ball for half an hour before I disappeared. Not enough time—Father will be angry.” He shivered, and Ladybug felt an irrational sense of protectiveness for him. 

She put her arms around him and pulled him close, trying to convey her love and support in an embrace. “It’s your party. You should be able to do what you like!” 

“That’s not how it’s going to work for me, LB,” he mumbled into her shoulder. 

“You're going to call me 'LB'?” she giggled. “Really, hot stuff?” 

He pulled away and blushed at her nickname for him, before he suddenly stared back at her in horror. “You need to go,” he whispered. “You might be in real trouble if we’re caught together. And I know Ladybug’s not your real name, but my father might ask you for your true identity! If you’re not ready for that…” he trailed off. “But you can tell me, if you want. I’ll keep it a secret from him, I swear it.” 

Marinette opened her mouth, then suddenly thought of Chat Noir. Her Kitty. “Someone else has to know first, Adrien. But I promise, you’ll be the next to know.” 

Adrien seemed a bit disappointed, but he bowed and kissed her hand again, holding the kiss for much longer than necessary. “Then I leave you here, Ladybug. I hope our paths cross again. Will you come back to the ball later tonight?” 

Ladybug smiled. “It’d be my pleasure. But first, I have to sneak out of here.” 

Adrien nodded. “Go around the side. There’s a tunnel that leads back to the ballroom from the other side. Take the passageway on the right and it’ll look like you just went to the bathrooms.” 

“Got it. Good luck, Your Highness.” 

Adrien gave her another blinding smile before he took off. “It’s just Adrien, remember?” 

Marinette stood frozen in place, staring dreamily at Adrien’s retreating back. “I remember…”


	5. The Ball Continues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug meets Lady Chloe, and she is not happy about it.

Ladybug flew around the corner, nearly crashing into a guard at the side entrance. 

“Err…are you lost?” asked the guard awkwardly. 

Ladybug clutched at the folds of her dress as she fought for breath. “I, oh, no, I just,” she fumbled valiantly. _What had Adrien said earlier?_ “I just was…using the bathrooms—but I don’t want to miss the party! Gotta go! Thanks!” 

The guard hesitated before he bowed and opened the glass doors for her, and with a nod, she breezed through. 

She swung her gaze around the room. Had Adrien disappeared…again? He had to have returned, but she had gotten lost on her way back. Had she missed him? 

Stumbling through the crowd, she came upon a knot of people surrounding Lady Chloe. Gritting her teeth, she turned to move off in another direction, knowing that whatever Chloe had to say about her couldn’t possibly be good. 

“Oh, who are you?” shrieked a high-pitched voice. “Oh, my, you look like a ridiculously rich noble! I just have to make your acquaintance!” 

Marinette whirled around and came face-to-face with a simpering, curtseying Chloe, who was waving off the adoring crowd surrounding her. “Shoo, shoo! I’m talking to someone way, way cooler. Sabrina, stay!” She snapped her fingers on the final word, and the girl whimpered as she stood loyally next to Chloe. 

Chloe looked up and smiled sweetly into Marinette’s eyes. “I’m Lady Chloe, the most famous lady of my township!” After an awkward pause, her arrogant eyes flashed at Marinette. “Well? What’s your name? What land are you from?” 

Marinette hesitated, then curtseyed gracefully. “I’m Lady Buginette. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

Chloe didn’t seem to notice Marinette’s self-censorship. “Ooooh, how royal! You must come from a very rich land and be so wonderful and talented. You’re my new best friend!” she cried, latching suddenly onto Marinette’s arm. 

“Wait, what?” cried Marinette and Sabrina simultaneously. 

Chloe didn’t seem to take notice. “So…” she began, before launching into a barrage of questions about Marinette’s hair, clothes, money, and jewelry. Trying in vain to loosen Chloe’s grip, Marinette gritted her teeth into a forced smile. 

“You seem…very…focused, Lady Chloe,” attempted Marinette. “But I choose my friends based on how they treat others. That’s the custom in my land.” 

“My, what a quaint custom! Well, we’ll surely change your ways, yet!” 

“I doubt it,” Marinette muttered under her breath, before her eyes lit up with a plan. Turning to Chloe with a bright smile, she watched as Chloe fluttered her eyelashes. “So have you danced with the Prince yet?” 

Chloe immediately scowled, her whole face transforming. “He just danced with one silly, utterly ridiculous, little town girl, and then he disappeared! He chased after her, but then he was brought back by his guards and now he’s disappeared again! He and I are so close, I don’t know why he keeps avoiding me tonight.” 

“I might have some idea,” muttered Marinette again, trying to hide her smirk, before she amped up the wattage on her smile and raised her voice again. “Oh, how odd! So no one knows where he is—” 

“Yes, it is odd, isn’t it? Can’t believe he chose to go with stupid little Marinette. Serves her right to wear such a badly made gown that a teeny little spill ruined the whole thing!” 

“It wasn’t just a little spill!” burst out Marinette. 

Sabrina and Chloe gave her curious looks, and Marinette fought to swallow back her fury. “Uh…I meant to say that…what a sad story!” 

Chloe pouted. “I know, right? Sad for me! Adrikins felt bad for her, though, not for me—I mean, I only spilled the drink on accident! You believe me, don’t you, Lady Buginette?” Chloe clung tighter to Ladybug’s arm, and Marinette felt her hands bunch into fists, wondering if all would be lost if she gave the girl one good punch. 

Suddenly, the same guard that Marinette had startled before evolved out of the shadows and bowed before Chloe. “Lady Chloe. There seems to be an issue with your carriage. If you would be so kind—” 

“Ugh! Utterly ridiculous! The staff can never be trusted with my things! Isn’t it ridiculous, Lady Buginette?” 

Marinette didn’t answer, and the guard pointed down a corridor. “The driver awaits you there.” 

Chloe shoved him unceremoniously aside. “Whatever.” With a huff, she yanked Sabrina’s wrist and took off, pouting at Marinette over her shoulder. “I’ll fix this and be right back, Lady Buginette! Wait for meeee!” 

Marinette forced a smile. “Great,” she muttered darkly, rubbing at her sore arm and looking around for a way out. 

The guard remained at Marinette’s side, watching Chloe leave, and Marinette turned to thank him for his trouble. 

Before she could open her mouth, his leather gloved finger landed on her lips. “C’mon my Lady, we’d best get you out of here before she comes back.” 

Ladybug’s eyes widened. “Chat…Chat Noir?” He winked and tipped his hat at her, and Marinette recognized the cat ears underneath. “Oh, thank God—waah!” 

He took her wrist lightly and pulled her behind him, moving toward the side entrance from which she had entered previously. 

“Where are we going, chaton?” 

He smiled mysteriously. “Oh, you’ll see.” 

A smile curled across her lips. “Did Chloe really have a problem with her carriage?” 

Chat looked back at her briefly with a wide grin. “Let’s just say that it’s been mysteriously…moved?” 

“How strange and very unlucky.” 

“Black cats are known for bad luck.” 

“And their inability to keep their noses out of other people’s business.” 

“That, too.” 

“That poor driver is going to get an earful.” 

“Oh, it’s not her driver. It’s Lord Nino in a disguise. She’ll get in serious trouble if she yells at him.” 

“Lord Nino? Oh, no, I don’t want to take up his time! What about Alya?” Marinette fretted. 

At this, Chat paused in his stride. “You know Alya?” 

Ladybug realized her mistake. “I, er, I saw them dancing together. At the last ball.” 

Chat chuckled. “Oh, ha! Yes, well, Alya’s there with him too. They were making out in that corridor earlier anyway, which is why they’re helping. Just a quick…interruption in their night.” 

A pause. 

“They were beyond pissed when you asked them to do this, weren’t they?” Ladybug asked. 

Chat sighed. “I figured it would make them more likely to absolutely destroy Chloe.” 

Marinette threw her head back and laughed. “Oh goodness. Well, I can’t say she didn’t have it coming. She’s so…cruel!” 

Chat’s smile faltered. “Yes, it…surprised me how differently she treats different people. But she could still change, I suppose. Maybe she…deserves a second chance.” 

“No, she deserves all the trouble you caused her. And more,” growled Ladybug. 

Chat grinned again. “Moral and vengeful and beautiful. My kind of girl.” 

Ladybug yanked on his hand and pulled him to a stop, before propping her hands on her hips. “Flattery won’t get you everywhere, Kitty-cat.” 

He pressed a kiss to her fingertips. “Then what will?” 

Ladybug pulled her hand away with a smirk. “How about…telling me where we’re going?” 

“You don’t like surprises?” 

“Not when they’re presented by leather-wearing rogues in cat ears and fake guard uniforms who trick the girls I was with so that they can get me alone.” 

Chat looked down at himself, surprised and a bit mournful. “Oh, no…I did not think about how this would look at all.” 

Ladybug laughed again. “I’m joking; I trust you far more than Chloe.” 

Chat smiled at her, relieved. “Well, we’re here, anyway.” He pulled open a gold-inlaid door, revealing a vast study with book-lined walls and a piano. 

Ladybug’s eyes widened as she entered, twirling to take in all the sights. “Oh, it’s so beautiful!” 

Chat smiled. “Big book fan?” 

“A bit, I guess. I love action and adventure and romance. I've always wanted to be a warrior princess.” 

Chat smiled back. “I’ve always wanted to be a knight in shining armor. A hero who was celebrated and beloved not for their position, but instead for what they’d done with it.” 

Ladybug looked at him over her shoulder from where she stood by a bookcase, surprised. “Oh, chaton. If it helps, you’ve already proven yourself to me. Thank you so much for being the greatest partner.” 

Chat bowed dramatically. “Anything for my Lady.” 

Ladybug laughed and gazed at the shelves. As she wandered, she ran her fingers along their spines before taking down a book that caught her eye. “What is this? I’ve never heard of it.” 

Chat walked over to her. “Oh! It’s an old superhero story that my mother used to read to me.” 

“Used to?” 

Chat looked down at his feet. “She, uh...she passed away. Almost 7 years ago, now.” 

“Oh, Chat, I’m so sorry!” She hugged him tightly. “I’m so sorry.” 

Taken aback, Chat stood silently in the middle of the room before lifting his arms and embracing her tightly. “Thank you. I-It’s okay.” 

“Okay. But it’s okay if it’s not okay, chaton,” she whispered, pulling him even closer to her. His eyes were wide, and Ladybug felt something tug at her heart. 

Blushing, she pulled away and opened the first page of the book. “So, uh, what’s it about?” 

Chat smiled. “It’s called Miraculous Tales. It’s the story of two kids who have kwamis and turn into superheros to fight supervillains.” 

Marinette froze and thought of Tikki. “K-Kwamis?” 

Chat nodded, eyes lighting up as he recounted the lore. “They’re mythological creatures. Legend says they each have a dominion, and they can grant you unimaginable power or your deepest wishes.”

Ladybug noticed that Chat seemed dreamy as he spoke. “Was…was this something you always wanted?”

Chat smiled guiltily at her through his lashes and blond bangs. “I’m that obvious, huh?” 

Ladybug brushed his hair out of his eyes, almost hypnotized by their color. “What—what would you wish for, chaton?” 

“I used to wish for happiness. Then, for freedom. Now, I wish—I wish for love.” 

“For l-love?” She thought back to her conversation with him at the bakery. 

“Yes,” he murmured, lips millimeters from hers. 

Ladybug realized that her hands were cupping his face, and she watched as he tilted his head into her touch. 

She found herself smiling at him. 

Dropping her hands from his face, she cleared her throat and poked his nose. “And now, you’re a knight on the lam because you lo-ove danger, right?” 

“Danger’s my middle name.” 

“Chat Danger Noir. That sounds terrible.” 

“I think fast on my feet in times of crisis.” 

“Thinking fast doesn’t mean thinking well. I believe we’ve established that.” 

“What can I say? I think with my heart.” 

“Maybe try your head, next time?” 

“Bold of you to assume that there’ll be a time in my future where I’ll have to think with my actual brain.” 

“You’re a danger to society, Chat Doofus Noir.” 

Chat laughed, and the duo separated awkwardly. Marinette knew that they’d have to discuss their pull to each other eventually, but she didn’t want to think about it now. Returning the kwami book to the shelf, she searched her mind for a possible question to ask him. 

She wanted to test him. To see if he actually knew his own heart, before she could make up her own. 

“You know,” she began. “I don’t really know that much about you, Chat. You’ve saved me, I’ve helped you, we’ve danced together and joked together, but I honestly don’t know that much about you.” 

“I’m just a good-for-nothing Kitty.” 

“I sincerely doubt that.” 

He reached for her hand. “How about this? I’ll tell you my name, my Lady. Once we know each other’s names, trust me—” 

“No!” she cried, and Chat’s voice stumbled to a halt. “I mean, uh, names don’t tell you about a person. No names, no identifying info – neither of us should assume anything about the other.” 

Chat smiled. “A question for a question, then?” 

“Deal.” 

They shook hands. 

“Favorite color?” Chat began. 

“Pink. Yours?” 

“Blue. Light blue.” 

Marinette thought back to a scarf she had made years ago and pictured her Kitty wearing it. 

“Okay, my turn. How do you know about this library?” 

“My father—works here too! Favorite book?” 

Marinette thought. “This fashion book I have on my dresser right now. Oh, and my best friend’s writing a novel.” 

“Oh, how cool! So, you like fashion.” 

“Oh, yes, very much. I design dresses in my free time.” 

“Your turn!” 

“Favorite…hobby?” 

“I fence, but my real favorite hobby is playing the piano. For my friends—mostly just Nino. And with my mother, before.” 

“You can play? A multi-talented Kitty?” 

“I don’t like to boast, but I’m amazing in so many ways. You’re more than free to test me out, you know.” He ran his fingers along the inside of Ladybug’s palm, and she fought the urge to shiver. 

Instead, she rolled her eyes and flicked his nose. “Are you sure your middle name isn’t A for Arrogant?” 

“Chat Arrogant Noir? Don’t be ridiculous. Who’d name a kid that?” 

“Chat Insufferable Noir, then.” 

“How rude and pawful, my Lady.” 

“Don’t you mean _pun-derful_?”

Chat leaned closer and wiggled his eyebrows. “Was that a _pun_ I heard?” 

“And that pun’s probably better than your piano playing,” laughed Ladybug. 

Chat narrowed his eyes. “Is that a challenge, bugaboo?” 

“It sure is. Go on, then. Serenade me.” 

“Oh, I will, darling. Clawsome-ly purr-fect puns are my forte.” 

“Not with puns, you mangy cat!” 

Laughing, Chat settled himself on the piano bench and stretched his fingers. Removing his gloves, he looked up at her. “Very well. What do you want to hear?” 

With a smile, Ladybug propped her chin on her head and leaned against the piano. “Your favorite song.” 

He grinned quickly. “In that case, this piece will be a fully improvised one entitled, ‘Cats are the coolest and you better believe it,’ dedicated to my Ladybug at her request.” 

Ladybug raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you mean ‘Ladybugs are cooler than cats’?” 

“As my Lady wishes, of course.” 

“Silly Kitty,” giggled Ladybug. 

“Furthermore, this piece will be accompanied by my best attempt at mimicking the sound of cats yowling.” He cleared his throat. “Care to join me? The more interactive, the better.” 

Ladybug crossed her arms. “You’re the worst and I’m leaving.” 

He chuckled. “Okay, okay. My favorite song is ‘Moonlight Sonata’.” 

Ladybug nodded at him, and he took a deep breath and began to play. 

And he was wonderful. 

\------ 

“I—can’t—believe…UGH!” shrieked Chloe. “The nerve of you all, tricking me! Wait till my father hears about this! Sabrina, let’s go!” 

Nino rolled his eyes, knowing that his father owned double the land that Chloe’s. “Oh, no, I’m so scared.” 

Alya burst out laughing, and the duo high-fived before retreating into a nearby alcove to continue where they’d left off, leaving Chloe and Sabrina in the dust. 

\----- 

Ladybug was speechless. 

Chat Noir’s eyes were closed, his hands pressing deeply into the keys as if he were a sculptor. 

She was enchanted. 

“Where is that boy?” called a distant voice outside. 

And suddenly, the music cut off. Ladybug looked up to see Chat staring at her, green eyes wide. 

“We have to go,” he hissed, lifting his hands from the piano. 

Ladybug, disoriented by the sudden silence, shook her head. “Why, isn’t that King Gabriel’s advisor? I bet they’re looking for Prince Adrien, since he keeps disappearing. That has nothing to do with us.” 

Chat bit his lip. “I don’t want to be found…right now,” he murmured, staring guiltily at Ladybug through strands of fair hair. 

Recalling her conversation with him at the bakery, Ladybug realized that he was involved with something much bigger, and she was not about to let her Kitty feel helpless and alone in that after he’d saved her—nearly twice. 

She tossed a pigtail over a shoulder. “Is there another exit from this room?” she whispered. 

Chat nodded, and together they closed the piano lid silently. Clacking footsteps could be heard from afar, growing ever closer. 

Ladybug turned to Chat. “Where is it?” 

But Chat was frozen, eyes dim and horrified, as the footsteps became louder. 

“Chat?” She tugged at his shoulder. 

He didn’t move. 

“Chat? Chaton, are you all right? Come on, I’ll help you, okay? Let’s go. I’ll protect you. Nothing will happen to you,” she vowed. 

He touched his mask slowly, as if his joints moved through molasses. “I—yes. It’s just—I’m not sure—” 

The footsteps stopped at the door to the study, and she felt Chat’s muscles lock up next to her. 

“Is he in here, do you think?” asked the assistant. 

The doorknob jiggled. 

“No, he is not allowed in there, and he knows it,” came a cold male voice, and at that, Chat let out a little gasp and hung his head. 

Ladybug turned to Chat and squeezed his hands in her own. “Chat, did you help Adrien escape the party somehow? Do you know where he is?” she asked slowly, testing Alya’s theory. 

Chat looked at her as if he’d committed a heinous murder. “Yes,” he choked. 

Ladybug narrowed her eyes at the door. “Then, we’d better keep both of you safe. Give me your sword.” 

Chat hesitated. 

“Do you trust me?” she asked, eyes meeting his. 

He nodded. “Without a doubt, my Lady.” 

She held out her hands without breaking eye contact. 

He dropped the sword into her waiting grasp.


End file.
